Southern California Air Pollution: Reduced Levels Improve Children’s Health

A study that tracked children in Southern California for over 20 years has found that the children have fewer respiratory symptoms resulting from improved air quality.

"This is one of the few times that we have been able to report good news, and this is very likely a direct result of the science-based policies that have been put in place," Kiros Berhane, lead author and a professor at the Keck School of Medicine in University of Southern California, said. "The message that clean air leads to better health in children should be taken seriously because it has implications for how we live and how productive we become," he added.

Scientists in Southern California studied the correlation between bronchitic symptoms and reduced air pollution separately for kids with and without asthma. They have also included factors such as age, gender, secondhand cigarette smoking and even the presence of cockroaches in the home.

Berhane said that reduction of bronchitic symptoms were greater in children with asthma (32 percent reduction), but it is significant in kids without asthma as well (21 percent).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2009 data, about 1 in 10 children had asthma in the United States. Medical expenses related to treating asthma added up to $50.1 billion in 2007. That's a total of $3,300 per U.S. resident each year.

Nearly 2 million visits to the emergency room each year are due to asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. This condition also contributes to more than 14 million visits to the doctor and about 439,000 hospital check-ins.

California cities are constantly at the top of the American Lung Association's list of most polluted cities released annually. In response, California has implemented regulatory policies including Low-Emission Vehicle Program.

USC continues to strive to research significant issues that have impact on the world and not just on Southern California. This recent study was supported by the Health Effects Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and California Air Resources Board.