Today we’re talking about several published studies of real-life examples of how cleaning up air pollution made big differences in children’s health. It helped children of all ages, from birth through the teen years.
1. The first time was during the summer Olympics in Atlanta GA. During the 2 weeks of the Olympics, there were more shuttle buses, and people drove less. Traffic counts were down, and air pollution – especially ozone – decreased dramatically. During the 2 weeks of the Olympics, asthma in children decreased dramatically: hospitalizations, ED visits, and prescriptions for asthma in children were down 11-40%. After the Olympics were over, asthma went right back up to its usual level.
2. In California, changes in air pollution policy (vehicle emissions, power plants, and more) that were made because of the Clean Air Act led to improved air pollution levels between the late 1990s and 2010. During this time, teens lung growth improved a lot, and their airway function also improved. Teens born later when the air was cleaner had bigger lungs, and they could breathe air in and out faster.
3. In Georgia, students in districts with more engine filters on the diesel school buses had better aerobic scores on the FitnessGram, and they had better end of year test scores.
4. Students in school districts that used EPA Clean School Bus funds to replace the oldest dirtiest diesels, had both improved test scores and improved student attendance. If we replace all the old buses built earlier than 2000, students would have more than 1 million days more attendance each year.
5. When coal-fired power plants in California closed, there was an almost 25% reduction in preterm births (7.0% before closure, 5.1% after closure). There was a bigger reduction in preterm births for pregnant people who lived closer to the plants, compared to ones who lived farther away. This is a strong indication that the coal-fired power plants caused the preterm births.
6. In Mongolia, when pregnant women used an air filter in their apartment to reduce air pollution, their children had increased IQ at age 4. They only used the air filter while they were pregnant, but the effectds of PM2.5 showed up when the children were 4yo.
7. In China, when a coal plant closed, the rate of developmental delay in 2yo children decreased from 15% before closure to 5% after closure.
We have lots of studies showing increased risk of health problems for children because of air pollution, from preterm birth to cognitive development, mental health, and lung growth and development. These examples show that we can actually make a difference in children’s health, by cleaning up the air and reducing air pollution. And because air pollution is not evenly spread over cities because of environmental injustice, cleaning up air pollution could really help reduce health disparities.
#HealthyAirIsHealthCare #WeAllThriveWithHealthyAir
11-20-2024 AKMB
