A new study has revealed that air pollution is significantly slowing the lung growth of children in the UK, with effects persisting into early adulthood. Researchers tracked the lung function of over 5,000 individuals born in and around Bristol in the 1990s from birth onwards. Lung tests were conducted at ages eight, 15, and 24, when lung function should have fully matured.
Key Findings
The study calculated participants' exposure to air pollution—including particle pollution and nitrogen dioxide from diesel vehicles and fossil gas boilers—during each trimester of pregnancy and for each year of early childhood. Lead author Professor Ann Hansell of the University of Leicester explained that the team spent years creating detailed particulate air pollution exposure estimates for pregnancy and early life, using road traffic data from Bristol City Council. Lung function was measured via spirometry, where participants inhaled deeply then exhaled forcefully into a mouthpiece to measure air volume and speed.
The results showed that higher air pollution exposure during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood led to slower lung development all the way up to early adulthood. The most pronounced impact occurred during adolescence, the period of fastest lung growth. The scientists also accounted for other factors affecting children's health, such as premature birth, breastfeeding, parental smoking, and living conditions like damp and mould.
Long-Term Health Implications
Professor Hansell warned that children whose lungs do not reach their full growth potential may be more vulnerable to respiratory diseases later in life due to lower lung reserve. She added that low lung function in adults carries a similar risk for heart disease as high cholesterol. Previous research in 2019 found that air pollution reduced lung growth in east London children, with average nine-year-olds having lungs 90 to 100 millilitres smaller than expected.
More broadly, long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked to higher Alzheimer's disease risk, according to a study analysing 27.8 million US Medicare recipients aged 65 and older between 2000 and 2018. Conversely, reducing air pollution improves health outcomes. A 2024 US study led by EPA scientists estimated that a 39% decrease in PM2.5 from 1990 to 2010 corresponded to a 54% drop in deaths from ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and stroke. Over the same period, a 9% decline in ozone was associated with a 13% reduction in deaths from chronic respiratory disease.
