Cleaner air may help children's lungs grow, study suggests

A new study suggests that the introduction of a scheme designed to cut air pollution has led to improvements in children's lung health.

Researchers studied a number of primary school pupils in London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) before and after the scheme was introduced.

They found that at the start of the study, they had much smaller lungs than children living in Luton.

However five years later, their lung health had improved, and was similar to that of the other group of children.

Scientists say the results are strong evidence that cutting air pollution can help protect children's health, while independent researchers added there are other factors that can help too.

Scientists say that children can be more vulnerable to air pollution because their lungs and immune systems are still developing.

As part of this project, a team of researchers, led by Queen Mary University of London, measured and monitored the lung health of more than 3,400 children aged six to nine.

They looked at schools in London's Ulez zone, as well as schools in Luton.

Researchers chose Luton because it is less polluted than London, but has a similar mix of pollutants in the air.

All the children had their lung function tested every year, starting before Ulez was introduced, and continuing for four years afterwards.

At the start, the children in London had a smaller lung size than those of the children in Luton.

But by the end of the study, their lung size had 'caught up,' reaching almost the same level as the children in Luton.

The team added that the faster fall in nitrogen dioxide pollution in London is likely to be linked to the improvements in lung growth.

Prof Chris Griffiths, from Queen Mary University of London, said he was "absolutely stunned" when he first saw the results saying they were "surprising and impressive".

The improved lung function in children was "likely to have lifelong benefits for their health" added Prof Anna Hansell, from the University of Leicester, who was not involved in the study.

Other experts felt that while the results are promising, there are still other factors to consider.

For example, children in London may have been more likely to walk or cycle to school after Ulez was introduced, which could have also affected their health.

And Kevin McConway, emeritus professor from the Open University, added that it was important to study other cities and to compare with them too.

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) scheme has been around since 2019, but since 2023 it has applied to a larger area.

The transport scheme in London charges the most polluting vehicles to drive in the city.

It's designed to reduce air pollution and clean up the air that Londoners breathe, but Ulez has also been controversial as it can also make it more expensive for members of the public and for businesses that need to drive in the city, when the cost of living is already high.