Johns Hopkins researchers report on the links between pollution-related air particles and childhood asthma prevalence.
Children exposed to airborne coarse particulate matter—a mix of dust, sand and non-exhaust tailpipe emissions, such as tire rubber—are more likely to develop asthma and need emergency room or hospital treatment for it than unexposed children.
A report of the findings, published Dec 15 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, highlights the long-term negative effects of such relatively large airborne pollutants—a common fact of everyday inner-city life—on lung health, especially in children under 11 years of age.
