In France, 3 out of 4 children are breathing polluted air

09/05/2019

It’s no longer just a scary story – it’s become reality. UNICEF has sounded the alarm for pollution

For the first time ever, a report has been published on the atmospheric pollution of our cities and how our youngest citizens are being affected, entitled “Fresh air for every child”. The report exposes some worrying statistics. In France, 3 out of every 4 children are breathing polluted air…

Looking at the world in its entirety, too, it found that automobile traffic is responsible for 4 million new cases of child asthma every year. The report also underlined that in our cities, cars produce 63% of all nitrogen oxide emissions. The pollution linked to small particles is also a result of automobile traffic, and represents another major risk factor for child respiratory disease.

The smallest particles (PM 2,5 ) can penetrate to even the bronchi and lung alveoli, causing inflammatory reactions. These reactions can then lead to a great number of chronic conditions, such as chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma, all of which are on the rise.