Dålig luft från trafik skadar hälsan

Air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, a study says. Researchers studied 66,000 women in and around 36 US cities, finding pollution levels varied between four to nearly 20 micrograms per cubic metre. The University of Washington team said each 10 microgram rise was matched by a 76% rise in the chances of dying from heart disease or stroke.

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Scientists focused on tiny airborne particles called particulates, which are less than 2.5 microns across, and can lodge in the lungs. About 30 or 40 of the particles equal the width of a human hair. Normally invisible, they can be seen as dense clouds as they emerge from an exhaust pipe, smokestack or chimney, and are responsible for urban haze. ¹

Särskilt våra barn tar skada av det moderna stadslivet:

Exposure to traffic pollution can significantly stunt a child's lung development, new research shows. The study finds that youngsters who live within 500 metres of major highways develop weaker lungs with less air capacity than their counterparts who live at least 1500 metres away from arterial roads.

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"Reduced lung function in childhood is a known risk factor for the development and worsening of asthma in children and the development of chronic pulmonary disease later in life," explains Stephen Holgate at the University of Southampton in the UK. He adds that decreased lung strength has also been linked to heightened risk of serious lung infection in childhood. ²

Behöver vi verkligen forskare för att inse att stadslivet har en negativ inverkan på vår hälsa?