Traffic-related air pollution causes FOUR MILLION cases of asthma each year

Four million children around the world develop asthma each year because of road traffic pollution, a major study has estimated.

Exposure to nitrogen dioxide, largely from road transport, is thought to be behind 38,000 new cases in the UK and 240,000 in the US each year.

The global research ranked the UK the 29th worst out of 194 countries for the rate of children developing asthma from traffic pollution.

The US placed 22nd while Australia came 64th, according to the study published in a prestigious medical journal.

Charities have warned the findings provide further evidence that toxic fumes are putting tens of thousands of children at risk of potentially deadly asthma attacks. 

The global research ranked the UK the 29th worst out of 194 countries for the rate of children developing asthma from traffic pollution. The US placed 22nd while Australia came 64th, according to the study published in a prestigious medical journal

Researchers found 19 per cent of asthma cases in youngsters – aged one to 18 – in the UK and US can be attributed to nitrogen dioxide pollution.

This rose to almost a third in London (29 per cent) where pollution levels are highest, according to the study published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

In the UK, there were the equivalent of 280 new cases each yer per 100,000 children – compared to 550 in Kuwait, which ranked the worst.

In comparison, the figure was 300 in the US and 190 in Australia, the team at the George Washington University found.  

Another ranking of the percentage of diagnoses linked to nitrogen dioxide exposure found South Korea came top, with nearly one third (31 per cent).

It was followed by Kuwait (30 per cent), Qatar (30 per cent), United Arab Emirates (30 per cent), and Bahrain (26 per cent).

WHAT IS ASTHMA?

Asthma is a common but incurable condition which affects the small tubes inside the lungs.

It can cause them to become inflamed, or swollen, which restricts the airways and makes it harder to breathe.

The condition affects people of all ages and often starts in childhood. Symptoms may improve or even go away as children grow older, but can return in adulthood.

Symptoms include wheezing, breathlessness, a tight chest and coughing, and these may get worse during an asthma attack.

Treatment usually involves medication which is inhaled to calm down the lungs.

Triggers for the condition include allergies, dust, air pollution, exercise and infections such as cold or flu.

If you think you or your child has asthma you should visit a doctor, because it can develop into more serious complications like fatigue or lung infections.

Source: NHS  

While India ranked low for nitrogen oxide, levels of other pollutants such as particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide, would be higher, the authors suggest. 

Dr Samantha Walker, of Asthma UK, said: ‘Polluted air is a major threat to public health, affecting an estimated half a million children with asthma in the UK 

‘Worryingly, this study confirms existing research which shows children breathing in toxic air from traffic fumes have stunted lung growth and are at risk of developing asthma.’

Cases of childhood asthma have increased steadily since the 1950s, making it the most common disease among children worldwide.

Experts are divided as to what actually causes people to become asthmatic, but exposure to air pollution in childhood increases the risk by damaging the lungs.

While various pollutants in traffic air pollution could be responsible, previous research suggests exposure to nitrogen dioxide could be key.

Researchers used global data on nitrogen dioxide concentration and asthma incidence to estimate the number of new cases which could be related to traffic pollution. 

The road outside Earl's Court Underground Station in Kensington, London, is the most polluted in the country, according to Friends of the Earth's research

The road outside Earl’s Court Underground Station in Kensington, London, is the most polluted in the country, according to Friends of the Earth’s research

POLLUTION LEVELS ILLEGAL IN MOST UK MONITORING ZONES

The UK’s air pollution was labelled a ‘national embarrassment’ in September.

Figures for 2017 showed 37 out of 43 air quality zones across the UK had illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution, the same number as the previous year.

Annual average levels of the pollutant from exhaust fumes fell in most places, figures from the Government and environmental law charity ClientEarth revealed.

But levels are still more than double the legal limit in Greater London and also well over the limit in areas including South Wales, West Midlands, Glasgow and Greater Manchester.

Brighton, Worthing and Littlehampton in West Sussex – an area declared as legal in the previous year – crept up to just below the threshold again, the statistics show.

The UK has been breaching EU pollution limits for nitrogen dioxide, much of which comes from diesel vehicles, since the rules came into effect in 2010.

Air pollution causes an estimated 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK and is linked to health problems from childhood illnesses to heart disease and even dementia. 

NHS data shows there were more than 77,000 hospital admissions for asthma last year, with an estimated 1,500 deaths.

The latest findings will be of particular concern as UK has one of the worst mortality rates in Europe, despite two-thirds being considered preventable.

Three-quarters of cases were found to be in cities, yet levels of pollutants often remained below guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Despite regarding air pollution as ‘a major environmental risk to health’, more than nine in ten cases of asthma occurred in areas where traffic pollution levels were below the limit of 21 parts per billion.

Senior author Dr Susan Anenberg, George Washington University, said the guidelines need to be altered urgently.

She said: ‘Our findings suggest that the WHO guideline for annual average NO2 concentrations might need to be revisited, and that traffic emissions should be a target to mitigate exposure.’

The findings come the same week as London introduced an Ultra-Low Emission Zone in a bid to clean up the capital’s toxic air.

Many owners bought diesels because of tax breaks given out when they were seen as a better choice for the environment.

But now drivers of diesel cars over four years old – and most petrol cars over 13 years old – are being charged £12.50 a day to enter or move around in central London – on top of the £11.50 congestion charge.

Charities insist air pollution is blighting the lives of children across the UK, not just in London, and called on the Government to do more to cut levels.

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: ‘We used to think the only real danger roads posed to children was the threat of a car accident.

‘However now we can see there’s an equally deadly risk; breathing in illegal levels of air pollution and getting a respiratory disease like asthma, or growing up to have smaller, weaker lungs.

‘Air pollution is invisible, so it’s easy to ignore – but studies like this make it clear toxic air is a pressing threat, and we need to act.’  

THE WORST 10 AREAS FOR AIR POLLUTION IN THE UK 

UK locations ranked by annual average level of NO2 (in ug/m3) – the objective is 40ug/m3:

1. Earls Court Station, Kensington & Chelsea, London – 129.5

2. Junction North Circular Rd/Chartley Avenue, Brent, London – 115.39

3. IKEA, Hut, North Circular Road, Brent, London – 102.1

4. Neville Street (NW Tunnel entrance), Leeds – 99

5. Fir Tree Close, Hickleton, Doncaster – 96

6. Kensington H St/Kensington Church St, London – 94.5

7. Euston Road, Camden, London – 92.45

8. Strand, City of Westminster, London – 92

9. High Street, Harlesden, Brent, London – 91.83

10. Haddon Hall, Tower Bridge Road, Southwark, London – 90.79

HOW MANY CHILDREN DEVELOP TRAFFIC-RELATED ASTHMA IN YOUR COUNTRY? 
Country Incidence Incidence rate* (per 100k children) Percent of total incidence
Kuwait 6,100 550 30
United Arab Emirates 9,500 460 30
Canada 34,000 450 20
Taiwan 20,000 420 21
Bahrain 2,600 410 26
Jordan 14,000 410 22
Lebanon 7,300 410 23
Qatar 1,300 410 30
Peru 43,000 380 15
Syria 27,000 350 19
Bolivia 14,000 340 14
Iran 75,000 330 22
Iraq 55,000 330 20
South Korea 36,000 330 31
Bermuda 39 320 11
Chile 16,000 320 20
Saudi Arabia 32,000 320 24
Cuba 7,400 310 11
Dominican Republic 12,000 310 12
Colombia 54,000 300 13
Singapore 3,700 300 26
United States 240,000 300 19
Haiti 14,000 290 9.9
Argentina 38,000 280 18
Japan 57,000 280 23
Mexico 130,000 280 19
Palestine 6,500 280 17
Turkey 67,000 280 19
United Kingdom 38,000 280 19
North Korea 20,000 270 15
Oman 3,200 270 16
Thailand 44,000 270 12
The Bahamas 340 270 9.3
China 760,000 260 19
Ecuador 16,000 260 14
Egypt 91,000 260 15
Paraguay 6,900 260 10
Afghanistan 43,000 250 15
Barbados 170 250 8.2
Greenland 34 250 12
Luxembourg 290 250 17
Belize 370 240 8.2
Venezuela 24,000 240 14
Yemen 33,000 240 15
Finland 2,500 230 15
Malaysia 24,000 230 11
Maldives 330 230 13
Netherlands 8,100 230 22
Philippines 90,000 230 9.1
Brazil 140,000 220 13
El Salvador 5,500 220 10
Puerto Rico 2,000 220 8.1
Belgium 4,800 210 22
Israel 5,300 210 20
Libya 4,800 210 13
Sudan 41,000 210 11
Trinidad and Tobago 700 210 7
Vietnam 60,000 210 13
Algeria 28,000 200 12
Belarus 3,600 200 18
Cambodia 13,000 200 9.8
Jamaica 1,800 200 7.4
Angola 24,000 190 9.1
Australia 10,000 190 9.4
Costa Rica 2,900 190 8.5
Guyana 540 190 6.8
Sweden 3,800 190 14
Uruguay 1,700 190 12
Djibouti 640 180 11
France 26,000 180 17
Honduras 6,200 180 9
Indonesia 160,000 180 8.3
Mauritania 3,500 180 10
Mongolia 1,800 180 18
Myanmar 33,000 180 10
Russian Federation 50,000 180 18
South Africa 34,000 180 9.4
Uzbekistan 20,000 180 16
Germany 23,000 170 19
Guatemala 13,000 170 10
Namibia 1,800 170 9.3
Portugal 3,200 170 13
Spain 14,000 170 16
Tunisia 5,300 170 11
Turkmenistan 3,200 170 18
Austria 2,500 160 15
Cyprus 390 160 16
Estonia 400 160 14
Kyrgyzstan 3,500 160 15
Laos 4,800 160 8.1
Latvia 570 160 14
Morocco 18,000 160 11
Poland 12,000 160 16
Suriname 280 160 5.2
Armenia 1,100 150 15
Botswana 1,300 150 8.4
Eritrea 3,900 150 9
Iceland 120 150 12
Ireland 1,700 150 9
Lithuania 840 150 15
Niger 16,000 150 11
Panama 2,100 150 6.7
Switzerland 2,400 150 14
Ukraine 12,000 150 13
Antigua and Barbuda 38 140 5
Burkina Faso 13,000 140 9.1
Czech Republic 2,600 140 16
Denmark 1,800 140 13
Greece 2,600 140 14
Kazakhstan 7,600 140 17
Norway 1,600 140 13
Pakistan 120,000 140 16
Romania 5,100 140 12
Serbia 1,700 140 12
Somalia 8,100 140 8.2
Tajikistan 5,000 140 14
Lesotho 1,100 130 7.6
Malta 100 130 11
Nigeria 110,000 130 8
Swaziland 780 130 6.2
Virgin Islands, U.S. 34 130 4.4
Andorra 14 120 11
Azerbaijan 3,500 120 13
Chad 9,400 120 8.7
Georgia 1,000 120 12
Nicaragua 3,400 120 7.2
Senegal 8,600 120 10
Timor-Leste 650 120 5.4
Congo 2,200 110 6.5
Croatia 890 110 12
Hungary 2,000 110 14
Italy 12,000 110 15
Macedonia 510 110 12
Mali 9,800 110 9.4
Moldova 1,200 110 11
New Zealand 1,200 110 5.3
Slovakia 1,100 110 12
Sri Lanka 6,900 110 5.6
Bulgaria 1,200 100 11
Dominica 27 100 3.7
The Gambia 1,000 100 7.1
Slovenia 340 97 11
South Sudan 5,800 95 5.5
Brunei 120 94 8.1
Papua New Guinea 3,000 93 3.5
Zimbabwe 6,800 92 6
Bosnia and Herzegovina 680 90 10
Tanzania 24,000 90 4.2
Cameroon 9,900 87 6.9
Togo 2,900 85 5.9
Montenegro 120 84 8.9
Mozambique 12,000 84 4.3
Zambia 7,000 84 5.7
Madagascar 9,800 83 4.3
Bangladesh 52,000 82 12
Equatorial Guinea 300 82 4.2
Democratic Republic of the Congo 32,000 81 3.9
Albania 620 79 11
Benin 4,300 78 5.6
Malawi 6,700 78 4.5
Nepal 9,000 76 9.9
Saint Lucia 42 76 2.8
Ethiopia 38,000 74 5.1
Central African Republic 1,600 72 3.8
India 350,000 72 14
Cote d’Ivoire 7,600 71 4.8
Gabon 540 70 3.5
Cape Verde 140 68 5.6
Guinea 4,200 67 4.1
Ghana 7,700 64 5.6
Kenya 14,000 64 4.1
Rwanda 3,500 63 2.9
Guinea-Bissau 540 60 4.4
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 19 57 2
Grenada 20 55 1.8
Burundi 2,800 51 2.9
Bhutan 150 46 6.8
Uganda 9,200 44 2.5
Sierra Leone 1,300 42 3
Mauritius 120 36 1.8
Solomon Islands 90 34 1.3
Comoros 120 33 1.6
Liberia 450 21 1.6
Vanuatu 16 13 0.52
Federated States of Micronesia 3 6.4 0.26
Sao Tome and Principe 3 3.3 0.25
Seychelles 0 0.00078 4.00E-05
American Samoa 0 0 0
Guam 0 0 0
Kiribati 0 0 0
Marshall Islands 0 0 0
Northern Mariana Islands 0 0 0
Samoa 0 0 0
Tonga 0 0 0

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