US NewsPollution causing 'up to a third of new child asthma cases in Europe'

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About 4 million children develop asthma each year because they breathe in polluted air, with the U.S. ranking third worst in the Asthma is now the most common non-communicable disease affecting children . Existing research suggests the air pollution caused by traffic could cause the airways to

Image caption Overall rates of childhood asthma cases in Bradford are higher than the national average, according to researchers. Air pollution may be responsible for more than a third of childhood asthma cases in Bradford, a study has found. Scientists used computer simulations to

© PA Around 1.1million children are believed to suffer from asthma in the UK Up to a third of new childhood asthma cases in Europe could be caused by air pollution, a study found.

Hundreds of thousands of children aged between one and 14 are believed to fall ill by breathing in pollutants each year, researchers estimate.

Around 1.1million children are believed to suffer from asthma in the UK.

File video: London has 'dangerous' levels of air pollution (Reuters)

It is thought traffic pollution can damage airways, leading to inflammation and the development of asthma in children who are genetically predisposed to the condition.

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Four million cases of childhood asthma could be caused by air pollution from traffic - around 13% of those diagnosed each year, a global study suggests. Current pollution guidelines may need changing because most children developing asthma live in areas within recommended levels, the authors say.

Air pollution causes over half of all child deaths from acute lower respiratory infection in children under 5 years in lower middle income countries. Air pollution exposure is linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes in children , including infant mortality, asthma , neurodevelopmental

The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), which led the study, looked at the burden of asthma on 63,442,419 children across 18 European countries, including the UK, in 2016.

They compared asthma incidence rates with estimations of levels of exposure to pollutants in more than 579 sq/m (1.5m sq/km) areas in 2010, which are often traffic-related in urban areas.

© Other Pollutants in the air are said to be causing cases of childhood asthma

Finally they estimated how rates could be affected if levels were reduced in two different scenarios.

They found that, each year, 11.4% of the total cases of asthma (66,567) could be prevented if countries adhered to maximum air pollution levels of PM2.5 recommended by the World Health Organisation.

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Millions of new child asthma cases linked to traffic pollution . Traffic emissions can contribute up to 80% of ambient nitrogen dioxide in cities. The researchers used global data on nitrogen dioxide concentration and asthma incidence to estimate the number of new cases in children aged one to

Image caption Overall rates of childhood asthma cases in Bradford are higher than the national average, according to researchers. Air pollution may be responsible for more than a third of childhood asthma cases in Bradford, a study has found. Scientists used computer simulations to

This equates to more than 10,000 cases in the UK being prevented annually.

Gallery: The most polluted cities in the world (StarsInsider)

But only 0.4% (2,434 cases) across the countries would be prevented with the reduction of another pollutant, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is a better marker of traffic sources.

Researchers believe these guidelines are outdated and need to be lowered.

Tens of thousands more cases of childhood asthma could be avoided if countries went further, researchers predict.

© PA Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah's daughter died after having an asthm attack

In the UK, 44,895 cases (29% of the UK total) could be avoided if the country reduced air pollution to the lowest levels recorded in 41 previous studies.

And 191,883 cases (33%) could be avoided each year across the 18 European countries in the study.

For the N02 pollutant, 135,257 (23%) could be stopped if the countries adhered to the lowest levels - 40,000 of which were in the UK (26% of the UK total).

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Children and young adults with asthma are more at risk from the effects of pollution because they have faster breathing rates and their lungs are still developing. Always see your GP if symptoms continue once pollution levels have dropped. When air pollution levels are high, and for up to a day

Diseases caused by pollution lead to the deaths of about 8.4 million people each year. "However, pollution receives a fraction of the interest from the global community. This is in part because pollution causes so many diseases that it is often difficult to draw a straight line between cause and effect.

© 2019 Matthew Horwood VALE OF GLAMORGAN, WALES - AUGUST 04: A general view of Aberthaw coal-fired power station at Limpert Bay, near the villages of Gileston and West Aberthawon on August 4, 2019 in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Owner RWE has said it is proposing closing Wales' last coal-fired power station on March 31 2020 - putting 170 jobs at risk. The plant, which opened in 1971 at a cost of more than £50m, was due to remain in operation until 2021. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)

If black carbon, a third pollutant, was reduced to the lowest levels it would mean 19,139 UK cases and 89,191 cases across the 18 countries could be avoided annually.

Professor Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, an author of the study from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, said "major lifestyle changes" in the UK would be needed to reach the lowest levels, recorded in Scandinavian countries.

He said: "A lot of the air pollution we have comes from cars, residential cooking and heating, industry and ports, so what you need to get rid of is the fossil fuels that produce all this pollution.

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Toxic air is causing almost half a million premature deaths in Europe every year, a new report says. Children are most susceptible to illness from air pollution . A major study conducted over six years found that children living in highly polluted parts of cities have up to 10% less lung capacity than

Four million cases of childhood asthma globally could be attributable to nitrogen dioxide from traffic pollution every year. Ploy Achakulwisut at George Washington University in Washington DC looked at global data on NO2 concentration and asthma rates to estimate the number of new cases in

A woman is using an asthma inhaler indoor

"And besides that what you also might want to look at is a reduction of cars in cities because even if you get electric cars, if they run on renewable energy, you still have particulate matter coming from the brakes, tyres and the wear and tear of the car - it will reduce NO2 levels, but only 50% or so of the PM2.5 levels.

"So you are also looking towards a reduction of cars and a move towards public transportation, cycling or walking."

The study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, concluded: "Our estimates are larger than previous documentation and underline the urgent need to reduce children's air pollution exposure across Europe."

A previous study in The Lancet Planetary Health suggested that just under a fifth of new childhood asthma cases in the UK could be linked to NO2 traffic pollution.

Gallery: Homes in the world's most inhospitable cities (Lovemoney)

Ella Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the South Circular Road in Lewisham, southeast London, died in 2013 after having an asthma attack.

The nine-year-old's death will be re-examined at an inquest, to determine whether it was linked to air pollution.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, her mother, said in response to the latest findings: "(This is) another reminder that the government are not taking the health impacts of air pollution seriously enough."

Deaths from asthma 'at highest level for a decade'

Asthma attack deaths in England and Wales are the highest they have been in the last decade and have increased by more than 33% over the last 10 years, new figures show. According to charity Asthma UK, more than 1,400 people died from asthma last year, an 8% increase compared to 2017. Over 12,700 people have died from the condition in England and Wales in the last decade. Video: 'My son collapsed and died in front of me' Your browser does not support this video require(["binding"], function (binding) { binding("wcVideoPlayer", "#video_player_d5922e6c-8e7b-4dc0-a582-7c3155426ad6").

The exact cause of asthma is unknown. Genetics, pollution and modern hygiene standards have been suggested as causes , but there's not currently enough evidence to know if any of these do cause asthma . In some cases , asthma is associated with substances you may be exposed to at work.

What causes asthma ? Researchers don't know for sure. But here are some of the things they're looking The evidence is clear that air pollution can have a negative effect on the breathing of people who First World/ Third World Difference. Another observation that may hold clues to the causes of

She added: "Our new prime minister can show the nation he is serious about the public health crisis by putting money into a health campaign.

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"I believe the nation would rather have an informative campaign (about) how to protect their health against air pollution rather than a no-Brexit campaign, especially when it is a matter of life and death."

Dr Samantha Walker, director of policy and research at Asthma UK, said: "This research is yet another reminder that the government needs to tackle air pollution as an urgent priority and commit to meeting air quality standards from the World Health Organisation in its upcoming environment bill.

"No child should face the risk of getting asthma or having a life-threatening asthma attack because of filthy air."

A government spokeswoman said: "Air quality has improved significantly in recent years, but air pollution continues to shorten lives which is why we are taking concerted action to tackle it.

Closeup of Ruffled World Health Organization Flag, World Health Organization Flag Blowing in Wind

"We are working hard to reduce transport emissions and are already investing £3.5billion to clean up our air, while our clean air strategy has been commended by the World Health Organisation as an 'example for the rest of the world to follow'.

"Our environment bill will give legal force to that strategy and put environmental accountability at the heart of government."

Explore the issues faced by the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people this summer and discover what you can do to help.