Cutting down air pollution is so vital for babies

A new report shows how reducing air pollution is so important, says Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox.

He was commenting on a study by researchers from King’s College, London, which showed that babies exposed to more pollutants from car exhausts and tyres during their first 13 weeks in the womb were more likely to score lower in IQ tests when 18 months old than those who were not.

The test was done by 498 toddlers born in London between 2015 and 2020 who were exposed to the capital’s pollution, even though the air was cleaner than the law required.

The scientists estimated the infants’ exposure to nitrogen dioxide from car exhausts and tiny particles from tyres passing through their mothers’ neighbourhoods. The babies from the more polluted parts of inner London scored seven points lower than those in less polluted outer boroughs. The impact was even worse on those babies born prematurely.

Scientists say it is too early to say whether these toddlers will catch up later with their peers

“These figures show we need a new Clean Air Act requiring local authorities to comply with World Health Organisation’s recommended air pollution guidelines,” said Ron, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science and Innovation Park.

Researchers point out that if countries reduced their air pollution to the level recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), it would add 1.9 years to life expectancy worldwide.

Even in Britain, meeting the WHO’s recommended limit would add 0.3 years to everyone’s life expectancy. In the UK people are exposed to about 8.3 micrograms of air pollutants per cubic metre of air, far lower than the global average of 24.2 micrograms, but higher than the WHO recommended level of 5 micrograms.

Ron said there were many simple things people could do to reduce air pollution in the home and the office, such as buying an air purifier, changing the bedding regularly, vacuuming often, and avoiding smoking inside, lighting candles and burning wood. Also, people should open the windows when cooking or using green or eco-friendly cleaning products. Good ventilation and using exhaust fans or dehumidifiers will also help the stop the build-up of mould and damp in kitchens and bathrooms.

Even certain indoor plants such as chrysanthemums, spider plants, snake plants, and aloe vera have been shown to act as air fresheners.

For a more long-term plan, call in an expert firm to carry out complete indoor air quality testing. Also, look at green heating solutions to provide perfect temperature control and to purify the air in the buildings and with technology today there are even pollution-eating roof tiles.

This article raises some important questions, said Ron. Do you try and reduce the pollution in your home as many of our readers do? What have you done this year to cut pollution? Should the Government be doing more to encourage us to reduce pollution? Send your views to Ron Fox at [email protected]

For more details about how to test the air quality of your home and to invest in green energy, call Ron on 0845 474 6641 or go to www.noreus.co.uk

Caption: Open the windows to cut pollution in the home when cooking or using green or eco-friendly cleaning products. Picture: John Butterworth