Scientists stunned by children's lung recovery in ultra low emission zone
Children's lung capacity caught up with their peers in less polluted areas once a clean air zone came in, a study shows.
Scientists have been astonished by the rapid lung recovery and growth observed in young children residing in ultra low emission zones (Ulez), particularly after the introduction of such zones. A study conducted by researchers from Queen Mary University of London and other institutions followed over 3,400 primary school children in London's Ulez and compared them to similar children in Luton, a less polluted city.
The study found that children's lung capacity in London caught up with those in Luton, reaching near identical levels after four years. This surprising acceleration in lung growth indicates that Ulez can effectively reduce pollution levels and restore stunted lung development in children. The primary test measured the amount of air a child could forcibly exhale in one second after taking a deep breath, with improvements showing that children in the London group could run as fast as those in Luton without getting out of breath.
Additionally, the proportion of children with clinically impaired lung capacity fell from 14% to 9% in London, compared to 9% to 7% in Luton. The study also revealed that nitrogen dioxide levels, a harmful pollutant, decreased more rapidly in London than in Luton, likely contributing to the observed lung growth. While the findings are promising, researchers caution that air pollution in both cities and other urban areas remains above World Health Organization guideline levels, and there is still work to be done.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
