Clean Air Zones Linked to Improved Children's Lung Growth
London's Ulez scheme shows positive impact on lung development in children, prompting calls for nationwide expansion.
Sarah Connor
A new study tracked the lung growth of over 3,400 children in central London and Luton.
Measurements from 2018 to 2022 assessed how air quality changes after Ulez implementation affected lung development. During the study period, children's exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) reportedly fell twice as fast in London as in Luton.
Research from Imperial College London indicates that between 2019 and 2024, estimated deaths associated with air pollution in London fell by approximately 40%. The study, published in The Lancet journal, involved researchers from multiple universities and institutions.
Researchers claim the improved lung growth seen in London children related to air quality improvements following Ulez implementation. The London children's lung growth had reportedly accelerated during the four years to 'catch up' with the control group in Luton, reaching similar levels of lung capacity.
Independent researchers also suggest the London group may have been more likely to walk or cycle to school once Ulez came into effect. Chris Griffiths stated, "Traffic pollution in cities damages children's health and development... We provide the strongest evidence yet on how these harms can be prevented. Ambitious clean air zones should be considered a priority for cities globally with traffic-related air pollution."
Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year-old girl from London, was the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death following her asthma attack in 2013. Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah claims children's lives could be saved by creating more clean air zones, asserting London children should not be the only ones breathing clean air.
Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah also stated, We need to find a way... It should be all over the UK... what this study is about is reducing emissions; we have to reduce our exposure. For a lot of children, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah claims, there is hope that their lungs can be restored.
Asthma + Lung UK now demands ultra-low emission zones be introduced across the entire country, citing new research that links London's scheme to improved lung growth in children. Despite these findings, critics claimed the Ulez was an attack on motorists and a blind pursuit of a policy that may not work.
All mainstream political parties, including the author's own, were reportedly opposed to the Ulez at its inception.