New research shows pollution from cars is responsible for 4 million new cases of childhood asthma each year
Asthma has many causes, including genetics and allergies. But chief among them is air pollution, especially from traffic. In fact, car exhaust — specifically particles of nitrogen dioxide or NO2 — is responsible for an estimated 4 million new cases of childhood asthma worldwide each year, according to new research published in The Lancet Planetary Health. Looked at another way, car exhaust is responsible for one in eight new childhood asthma cases diagnosed annually, the scientists said. Moreover, cars are a significant source of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, the chief culprit behind climate change.
The Lancet study adds to a growing body of scientific evidence that has emerged in recent years documenting the many risks of air pollution. The American Lung Association has just released its 20th annual “State of the Air” report, which found that 4 in 10 Americans live in areas with unhealthy air quality. And a recent report from the Health Effects Institute said that air pollution kills more people than smoking and projected that a child born today will die an estimated 20 months sooner than she would in absence of air pollution.
“The breadth of the public health consequences that we found strongly suggests that actions need to be taken by national and local governments,” said Susan Anenberg, associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Milken school and the paper’s senior author. Anenberg said that policymakers should promote electric vehicles, improve public transit, and expand bike lanes and running trails. Doing so would reduce air pollution, enhance physical fitness for everyone and, most importantly, improve children’s health.
See cleantechnica.com/2019/04/28/c…
#airpollution #traffic #EV
source https://squeet.me/display/962c3e10-545c-c5e6-d2e7-c1b410274685
The Lancet study adds to a growing body of scientific evidence that has emerged in recent years documenting the many risks of air pollution. The American Lung Association has just released its 20th annual “State of the Air” report, which found that 4 in 10 Americans live in areas with unhealthy air quality. And a recent report from the Health Effects Institute said that air pollution kills more people than smoking and projected that a child born today will die an estimated 20 months sooner than she would in absence of air pollution.
“The breadth of the public health consequences that we found strongly suggests that actions need to be taken by national and local governments,” said Susan Anenberg, associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Milken school and the paper’s senior author. Anenberg said that policymakers should promote electric vehicles, improve public transit, and expand bike lanes and running trails. Doing so would reduce air pollution, enhance physical fitness for everyone and, most importantly, improve children’s health.
See cleantechnica.com/2019/04/28/c…
#airpollution #traffic #EV
source https://squeet.me/display/962c3e10-545c-c5e6-d2e7-c1b410274685
Comments