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Ozone exposure bad for asthmatic kids

Even in rural areas, exposure to ozone appears to have a harmful impact on children with asthma.

Ozone exposure bad for asthmatic kids

Even in rural areas, exposure to ozone (O3) appears to have a harmful impact on children with asthma.

Ozone is formed when the byproducts of fossil fuel burn in the presence of sunlight. In the outer atmosphere, ozone is a good thing because it helps prevent harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching Earth's surface. But on the ground, ozone is a major constituent of smog, irritates the airways and makes the eyes burn.

People with asthma, especially children, are sensitive to air quality and several studies have demonstrated a strong association between exposure to air pollution and worsening of asthma. Recent studies indicated that ground-level ozone  may be a critical air pollutant in this respect.

To assess the specific impact of O3, without the effects of other pollutants, researchers from Portugal identified 478 school-going children aged between 6 and 13 years and assessed them for asthma symptoms. They also monitored pollutant concentrations and collected data concerning asthma prevalence through questionnaires.

Remote sites were identified with very low concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds and high concentrations of O3.

It was found that the prevalence of childhood asthmatic symptoms was about 4% higher at the high O3 site than at the low O3 site. The prevalence of wheeze for lifetime and last one year was approximately 16 per cent and six per cent respectively. The lifetime prevalence of asthmatic symptoms at the remote sites was seven per cent.

The major finding from the analyses was that, even in rural areas, ozone seemed to have an adverse impact on the worsening of childhood asthma.

The findings highlight the importance of controlling air pollution, which leads to the formation of ground ozone.

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