Surprising link found between childhood air pollution and adult health

Children's lung growth slows

Air pollution in childhood is directly linked to lung health in adults, a new study suggests. A link has been found between early exposure and bronchitis symptoms in adults with no previous lung problems.

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Air pollution inhaled during childhood is one factor that affects lung health in adults, according to a new study.

The story of the study began in 1992, when researchers began looking at the impact of air pollution on groups of children in California. Some of those children are now in their 40s, The Guardian reports.

Dr Erica Garcia and colleagues at the University of Southern California decided to check how they were doing. More than 1,300 people responded and filled out detailed questionnaires about their income, lifestyle (including smoking), homes and health. This was compared with their health as children and local air pollution as they grew up.

The first finding was that people who were exposed to more particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide as children were more likely to develop bronchitis symptoms as adults. This association was strongest among those who developed asthma and lung problems as children, meaning they were vulnerable as adults.

The second finding was unexpected: there was a link between childhood air pollution and adult bronchitis symptoms in people who had no history of lung problems as children.

This suggests that the harm from childhood air pollution may not be apparent until adulthood.

Dr. Garcia said: “This was surprising. We thought that exposure to air pollutants on childhood asthma or bronchitis symptoms would be the main way in which childhood air pollution exposure affects adult airway health.”

It was important for the study to distinguish between the long-term effects of childhood exposure and exposure to the air we breathe as adults. So the researchers looked at each person’s recent exposure to air pollution and took that into account in their analysis.

Erica Garcia says, “We wanted to see if childhood exposure to smog was still associated with bronchitis symptoms in adults, even after current exposure was reduced, and that was true.”

In the UK, separate research suggests that the health effects of the 1952 London smog are still lingering. Researchers studied adults who were exposed to the 1952 smog while in the womb or before the age of one. They were 20% more likely to develop asthma as children and, although just barely statistically significant, 10% more likely to develop asthma as adults, compared with people who were not exposed to smog.

Air pollution has changed dramatically since the 1950s and even the 1990s, but studies from Stockholm and London still show that air pollution in the 21st century is slowing the growth of children’s lungs. This means that adults will have smaller lungs and their health may be permanent.

Commenting on the findings of her new study, Garcia said: “This highlights the importance of reducing exposure to air pollution for everyone, including children, who are at a time of increased vulnerability to the effects of air pollution.”