Researchers issue urgent warning about invisible threat to children's health: 'Long-term consequences'

A new study shows how air pollution can impact childhood development and mental health based on exposure levels at various ages.

What's happening?

The paper used the Christchurch Health and Development Study — which tracks 1,265 people born in the New Zealand town in 1977 — and air pollution data to find links among air pollution, childhood development, and mental health through adolescence, as four of the researchers wrote for the Conversation.

"We found an increased risk of attention problems, conduct issues, lower educational attainment and substance abuse in adolescence associated with higher exposure," they said.

The researchers "were able to highlight the long-term consequences of growing up in polluted environments" by monitoring exposure to air pollution from the prenatal stage to age 10, as well as cognitive and mental health outcomes.

The children were grouped into those with high prenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution, consistently high exposure, elevated preschool exposure, and consistently low exposure. The study accounted for variability in socioeconomic status, neighborhood disadvantage, and parental characteristics.

The first two groups had a greater risk of developing attention problems and abusing substances in adolescence, while the third group had "poorer educational attainment and a higher likelihood of conduct disorders and substance abuse problems."

Why is this important?

The authors pointed out that individuals were not that affected but that the population groups were, indicating "major consequences" for future educational achievement, workforce productivity, and public health burdens.

While health problems are an obvious result of air pollution, educators and health care workers should be on the lookout for these developmental issues as well. Policymakers can mitigate the effects by implementing laws and regulations to protect children from environmental contaminants as their brains and neural pathways develop.

The researchers said that "certain developmental periods, such as the prenatal period and early childhood, may be especially sensitive to pollution exposure."

What's being done about air pollution?

The researchers recommended a few courses of action, including reducing air pollution via the use of clean energy sources such as wind and solar; cutting nitrogen dioxide, fine particulate matter, and other pollutants that come from industry, vehicles, and residences; and regulating air quality around schools and child care facilities.

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Improving access to green spaces can help, too, and that can be as easy as planting trees in your community.

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