{
  "id": 1905803,
  "title": "A London Scheme to Cut Car Pollution Restored Lung Growth in Children",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/a-london-scheme-to-cut-car-pollution-restored-lung-growth-in-children",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-19T09:41:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yale Environment 360",
    "slug": "yale-environment-360",
    "url": "https://e360.yale.edu/digest/ulez-children-lung-growth"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A London initiative to reduce car emissions has helped improve children's lung growth, according to new research. Launched in 2019, the Ultra Low Emission Zone initially covered an area of 8 square miles in Central London and charged owners of older, more polluting vehicles a daily fee of around $17. This led to a significant decrease in nitrogen dioxide pollution, a substance known to hinder lung development.\n\nResearchers monitored the lung growth of over 3,400 children aged 6 to 9, both in Central London and the nearby town of Luton, located about 30 miles away. Before the implementation of the emissions scheme, children in London were found to have stunted lung growth. However, within five years of the program's launch, researchers observed a positive change. While pollution levels fell in both areas, the reduction was more pronounced in Central London, which experienced more than double the decrease.\n\nThe study revealed that as pollution levels declined in Central London, children's lungs grew at a faster rate, eventually catching up with children in Luton. This improvement in lung growth has important health implications, as children with underdeveloped lungs are more susceptible to asthma and other respiratory issues later in life. The proportion of children with impaired lung function also decreased, from 14 percent to 9 percent, as pollution levels dropped in Central London.\n\nThe Ultra Low Emission Zone, despite its health benefits, has faced controversy, with many Londoners protesting and damaging nearly 1,000 cameras installed to monitor traffic. Nonetheless, the zone has been expanded in 2021 and 2023 to cover the entirety of Greater London. Officials estimate that the scheme has led to a 27 percent reduction in roadside nitrogen dioxide levels across London and a 40 percent decrease in deaths linked to toxic air.",
  "summary": "A scheme to slash car pollution in London was a boon to children, whose lungs grew faster after the program was launched, researchers found. Read more on E360 →",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}