A Breath of Air: What Pollution is Doing to Our Children

"In healthy children, lungs grow as the body develops, but the greatest growth rate is during puberty. From ages 10-14, healthy children see their lungs grow by about 12% each year. By the late teens or early twenties, lungs have essentially stopped growing. The Children's Health Study shows that during the crucial puberty years, the lungs of a child exposed to high levels of pollution will grow 10% less each year. Over a period of four years, that is a significant deficit in lung function compared with kids growing up in low-pollution neighborhoods."

Air pollution from diesel vehicles can affect everyone, especially children. Exposure to the toxic particles of diesel exhaust has been linked to cancer, asthma, and other diseases and conditions.

The clip discusses the findings of the Children's Health Study, which was begun in 1992. The study was conducted by a team of scientists at the University of Southern California and funded by the California Air Resources Board. Scientists looked at 5,500 children from 12 communities in Southern California with differing types and levels of air pollution. The scientists followed children from each of these communities and then compared their respiratory health with the pollution levels in their communities. The full-length video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnR_uM4IQ6s

For more info: http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/chs/chs.htm

Producer/Director/Writer: Karen Markuze

Executive Producers: Andrea Hricko & Joe Saltzman

Editor: Lee Warner

Copyright 2004 California Air Resources Board

Category:

Education

Tags:

• children's
• health
• study
• pollution
• asthma
• diesel
• clean
• air
• board
• idling
• environment
• chronic
• lungs
• lung
• function
• children
• ages
• 10-14