THE IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION ON CHILDREN

Children are exposed to greater levels of pollution relative to their smaller body weight and are generally more sensitive to their effects, including the unborn.

Impact on the respiratory system

Children are more susceptible to the risks of air pollution because they breathe at a higher rate than adults and take in more air per unit of body weight than adults. Air pollution is associated with some of the biggest killers of children, such as pneumonia, which is responsible for the deaths of 920,000 children under 5 years of age every year. Air pollution is also linked with asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory infections and diseases (Danger in the air / UNICEF Division of Data, Research and Policy, 2017).

Impact of the developing brain

Pollutants don’t only harm children’s developing lungs, they can actually cross the blood-brain barrier and permanently damage their developing brains. The dosage of toxic chemicals required to damage the growing brain in the first stages of life is much lower than that which would cause damage to an adult brain. Breathing in particulate air pollution can damage brain tissue and undermine cognitive development – with lifelong implications and setbacks. 

Studies have found associations directly between air pollution exposure and cognitive outcomes, including reduced verbal and nonverbal IQ, memory, test scores and grade-point averages among school children, as well as other neurological behavioral problems.

Protecting the children

Children require best protection against air pollution when being outdoors. Whenever they have to travel under busy traffic, they should wear effective pollution masks that filter at least 95% of the PM2.5 pollution as recommended by WHO and fit the child's face properly.