Effects of Air Pollution on Child Development

Our children are our future, it is not only a slogan of politicians, but also a faith most people in the world have. New generation benefit a lot from the advances of the 20th century. Yet this progress has come with many unpredictable consequences. In the last 50 years, 75000 chemicals have been developed and introduced into the environment. The overall incidence of childhood cancer increased 10% from 1975 to 1994, which is one of the scientific evidence clearly demonstrates our children are vulnerable to environmental hazards.

The exposure to air pollutants is at the greatest risk as we cannot stop breathing, and children breathe more air than adults, which means that they receive higher doses of pollutants in air. Thus the internal organs of teenagers are more susceptible because of immaturity. Therefore, studying the effects of air pollution on children is so important to raise the awareness on the issue thus to protect them from the hazards. Many studies have shown that the exposures to common air pollutants are associated with the increased respiratory illnesses and symptoms, aggravation of asthma and decrease in lung function in children.

Those common pollutants include ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide sulphur dioxide and airborne lead. Ozone is formed as a result of complex chemical reactions involving volatile organic compounds and oxides if nitrogen in the presence of sunlight. Particulate matter is fine dust, metal, soot, smoke, dirt and liquid droplet suspended in the air.

The dioxides are formed during the combustion of fuel. The major sources of those harmful pollutants include motor vehicles with leaded gasoline exhaust, coal-burning power plants, refineries, industrial facilities, metal smelters and even from old paint in homes.

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In 1999, a figure from the World Health Organization (WHO) alarmed us that over 60% of the children population in the world lived in areas with air quality that did not meet their standard. Another harmful pollutant is airborne lead. It affects virtually every system in the body and is particularly harmful to the developing brain and nervous system of children, due to the increased sensitivity of young tissues and organs. The exposure to airborne lead, even low levels can decrease childrens IQ, cause reading and learning disabilities and behavioral problems. These effects are fatal, persist until adulthood and maybe irreversible. Lead poisoning is entirely preventable.

Parents can have their children tested for lead poisoning by a physician and have their homes evaluated for leadbased paint. Government should play a more important role in the issue. Strict airborne lead emissions standard should be imposed on cars, as well as periodic technical inspection of vehicles should be enforced. Monitoring Network of air quality, including the concentration of lead in air, can be established. When the airborne lead reaches hazardous levels, warning of preventing outdoor activities can be given to the nearby residents. Inevitably, the effects of air pollution on children are worsening, for the sake of our children, and our childrens children, we must do all means to minimize the release of air pollutants. Governments all over the world should improve standard for air pollutants, particularly by implementing the newly revised ozone and particulate matter standards, and adopting more aggressive programs to control air pollution, such as tighter emissions requirements for new vehicles and cleaning up existing cars. As responsible parents, they can protect children by checking air pollution levels regularly where they live, limiting childrens outdoor exercise when air pollution levels are high. If we still ignore the harmful effects of air pollution on children, they will have to wear gas masks when they are playing hide-andseek outdoors.