Infants exposed to even low levels of air pollution experience reduced lung function as children and teenagers, researchers have found. Their study found that exposure to air pollution in the first year of life reduced lung function development from the ages of six to 15, even at pollution levels below EU standards. The researchers compared the results with estimated levels of pollution in the areas the children had lived until they were one year old. A second study, also presented at the congress, found that adults who were exposed to air pollution, even at low levels, were more likely to develop asthma. The WHO limit for PM2.5 is an annual average of 10 µg/m3, and the EU limit is 25.

Source: The Guardian August 24, 2020 22:02 UTC