300 MILLION
CHILDREN ARE BREATHING”EXTREMELY TOXIC AIR- UNICEF SAYS
Some
300 million children around the world are breathing highly toxic air, according to a new report from
UNICEF.The report, which uses satellite imagery to determine the
impacted areas, says these children live in places "where outdoor air
pollution exceeds international guidelines by at least six times."
Altogether, it states, some 2 billion children are breathing air that has been
deemed a "long term hazard," exceeding minimum standards set by the
World Health Organization.
"Air
pollution is a major contributing factor in the deaths of around 600,000
children under five every year — and it threatens the lives and futures of
millions more every day," UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said in a statement.
"Pollutants don't only harm children's developing lungs — they can
actually cross the blood-brain barrier and permanently damage their developing
brains — and, thus, their futures. No society can afford to ignore air
pollution."
The
report says poor air quality can have an outsize impact on children: Their
lungs are still developing; their respiratory airways are more prone to
blockages; they "breathe twice as fast, taking in more air per unit of
body weight, compared to adults."
The
impact of living in a place with poor air quality extends far beyond childhood.
As the report states, "studies have shown that the lung capacity of
children living in polluted environments can be reduced by 20 per cent —
similar to the effect of growing up in a home with secondhand cigarette
smoke.""The combination of
respiratory, cardiovascular, cognitive, morbidity and reproductive health
effects of air pollution have biological as well as social and economic effects
that last a lifetime. These include health conditions, school attendance,
school performance, health costs and productivity, which affect income, poverty
and inequalities. Air pollution, through its massive and cumulative impact on
the overall health and well-being of children and parents, can perpetuate
intergenerational cycles of inequality."
Both
outdoor air pollution (such as pollution from a factory) and indoor air
pollution (such as smoke from solid fuels used in cooking) are causing damage
to children's health, the report finds. Outdoor air pollution is worse in
"lower-income, urban communities," while indoor air pollution is more
prolific in "lower-income, rural areas." At the same time, the report
states that it can be difficult to tease out the impact of each, because
individuals are constantly moving between the two environments.
The
problem is getting worse because of industrialization, based on current
projections. "Unless action is taken to control outdoor air pollution,
studies show that outdoor air pollution will become the leading cause of
environment-related child death by 2050," the report states."South Asia has the
largest number of children living in these areas, at 620 million, with Africa
following at 520 million children," according to UNICEF. "The East
Asia and Pacific region has 450 million children living in areas that exceed
guideline limits."
Prof. John Kurakar
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