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DUH!#1: Smog Causes
Childhood Onset Asthma
In what seems like an already obvious connection to downwinders, a recent
large study documents a very clear link between smog and asthma in children.
Midlothian's three cement plants account for almost half of all
the industrial nitrogen oxide produced in North Texas. And nitrogen oxide
has been identified by the TNRCC and EPA as the major culprit in Dallas-Ft.
Worth's own smoggy mess.
While previous evidence has shown that smog can aggravate
existing cases of asthma, a new California Environmental Protection Agency's
Air Resources Board (CARB) and University of Southern California (USC) study
points to ozone as a cause in the development of asthma in young people who
did not previously have the disease.
The 10 year study of children has produced the strongest
evidence to date that smog, also known as ozone, can cause asthma in
children.
It compared new asthma cases in 3,535 children who were followed
over five years in 12 Southern California communities to determine the
potential health damage caused by growing up in polluted air. Six of the
communities had higher than average smog concentrations while
six had lower than average concentrations.
Researchers further refined the study by looking at
children who played up to three team sports.
The study showed that children in the high ozone communities who played
three or more sports developed asthma at a rate three times higher than
those in the low ozone communities.
Because participation in some sports can result in a child
drawing up to 17 times the "normal" amount of air into the lungs, young
athletes are more likely to develop asthma.
After reviewing the study, CARB scientist Dr. Alan Lloyd noted
recent efforts to weaken some environmental regulations. "This study
illustrates the need not to retreat but to continue pushing forward in our
efforts to strengthen air pollution regulations," Dr. Lloyd said.
Although asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood,
and the disease has been becoming more common for several decades, this is
the first study to examine athletic activity, air pollution and the
development of new-onset asthma.
"Identifying potential causes of asthma is very important because
eliminating the causative factors can prevent this life-threatening
disease," says John Peters, M.D., D.Sc., M.P.H., Hastings Professor of
Preventive Medicine at the Keck School. “If ozone is causing asthma then,
ultimately, the solution is to reduce the levels of ozone.”
"The bottom line is this: exercise is really healthy for
children, for many reasons, and children should be encouraged to play team
sports," he says. "But, on days when air pollution levels are expected to
be high, children should limit prolonged outdoor exertion."
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