Asthma and Traffic Pollution

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Relationship between Asthma and Traffic Pollution

The past three decades have seen an increase in asthma sufferers all over the world. Environmental groups point to air pollution as the primary cause.

The increase in asthma sufferers is of great concern. Rates have increased by 70 percent in the U.S. alone, with the highest occurrence in children aged five and younger. 8.9 percent of American children suffer from asthma.

In Britain, about 9 percent of British children and 8 percent of adults require asthma treatment today. This worrying trend appears to be spreading throughout Europe and Canada. There is still on-going research into the reasons behind the increased asthma cases, particularly in California, which shows new evidence that links asthma with traffic pollution. But comparing similar research that has been conducted in the U.K., Ireland, France, Canada and U.S. has not conclusively shown that air pollution has a definite link to asthma.

However, many indicators do suggest that the causes for asthma stem from other sources, such as the home, where asthma specialists have found higher insulation and heating levels in the past three decades. These levels create the ideal environment for dust mites to breed in, which are then breathed in by humans. This is hypothesized to be a leading cause of asthma symptoms.

While air pollution may not have been found to be the primary cause of asthma, many asthma sufferers are reporting an increased number of asthma attacks that they believe are the result of traffic pollution. This connection of air pollution to asthma attacks has been acknowledged by a number of asthma specialists.

A recent study showed that 65 percent of asthma sufferers experience coughing fits as well as shortness of breath due to traffic congestion. U.S. research has also suggested such high numbers of reactions to traffic congestion. Additionally, asthma sufferers report that they are unable to walk or shop in areas that are congested, as the traffic pollution in such areas triggers difficulties in breathing for them.

Electrical power stations are also known to generate air pollution in their surrounding communities, although the quantum differs with each station based on the following factors:

The type of fuel used in generating the electricity – whether oil, coal, gas, coke or biomass

  • The fuel quality used, as coal and oil are of different types
  • The efficiency of the power station
  • The type of filtration used in processing the emissions before being released into the air

 

Electric power stations are reducing the amount of air pollution they emit as they change to lesser types of carbon fuels while using sulphur and particulate filters, which enhance their efficiency in generating electricity.

It is still a long road to achieving “clean” electricity for most countries, particularly since a lot of countries are still relying heavily on gas or coal to generate most of their electricity. To switch to cleaner forms of energy sources will take some years to fully achieve.