Kids' Lungs Bounce Back Fast Thanks to London's Ultra Low Emission Zone!

Scientists have been amazed by how quickly young children's lungs improved after London introduced the Ultra Low Emission Zone, or Ulez, in 2019. The Ulez was created to reduce air pollution by making older, more polluting vehicles pay a fee to drive in the city. This change led to cleaner air, and researchers wanted to see if it would help children's health. They studied more than 3,400 primary school children in London and Luton, a city with less pollution but similar types of air problems. The scientists followed the children for five years, testing their lung function every year.

At the start of the study, children in London had smaller lung capacity than those in Luton. This meant their lungs could not hold as much air, which can make it harder to run or play without getting tired. After four years of the Ulez, the London children's lungs grew faster and caught up with the Luton group. The scientists said this was the strongest proof yet that clean air zones can help fix some of the damage pollution does to children's lungs. They also found that the number of children with lung problems in London dropped from 14 percent to 9 percent. In Luton, the number went from 9 percent to 7 percent.

The researchers measured how much nitrogen dioxide, a harmful gas from cars, the children were exposed to. They found that this gas dropped faster in London than in Luton after the Ulez started. This shows that the cleaner air was likely the reason for the better lung growth. Experts say that these improvements could help children stay healthier for their whole lives. However, they also say that other things, like the way children travel to school or changes during the Covid-19 pandemic, might have helped too. The scientists believe that clean air zones are important for cities everywhere, because many children around the world live in places with dirty air. They hope their study will help other cities make changes to protect children's health.