2023-04-27 09:07:17
27 avril 2023
Exposure to air pollution remains well above World Health Organization recommendations in several European countries. According to a report by the European Environment Agency, children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable.
Every year in Europe, air pollution is responsible for the death of 1,200 children and adolescents. The European Environment Agency (EEA) published a new report on Monday 24 April, focusing specifically on the health of individuals under 18, in the agency’s 32 member countries.
This population is particularly vulnerable to air quality, as their bodies, organs and immune systems are still developing. In addition to these 1,200 premature deaths each year, the AEE points to the numerous chronic diseases, declared during childhood or later, linked to exposure in the first years of life.
Risks related to intrauterine exposures
According to the report, children’s lung functions and development are affected by exposure to polluted air. In the short term, ozone and nitrogen dioxide are responsible for the damage. In the long term, fine particles (PM2.5) are the cause.
Before birth, the risks are also significant. “Maternal exposure to polluted air is linked to the birth of low birth weight babies and increases the risk of premature birth,” notes the EEA. During the first years of life, children are at risk of asthma, reduced lung function, respiratory infections and allergies. « [La pollution] can also worsen chronic conditions like asthma, which affects 9% of children and adolescents in Europe, as well as increasing the risk of certain chronic conditions later in adulthood,” continues the AEE.
Peculiarities associated with childhood
It should be noted that the exposure of children to air pollution has certain specificities. Small, children are particularly exposed to certain pollutants, concentrated near the ground. The majority of children and adolescents also spend more time outdoors and are more physically active than adults.
Finally, “there is growing evidence that air pollution affects brain development in children, contributes to cognitive impairment, and may play a role in the development of certain types of autism spectrum disorders,” details the EAA report.
The agency thus pleads for “improved air quality around environments such as schools and kindergartens and during activities such as school trips and sports”.
To note : According to another report, published in November 2022, each year in the European Union, air pollution causes the premature death of 238,000 people.
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