MIAMI.- Polluted air contains a combination of different toxic substances that can cause asthma attacks to develop in children and adolescents, new research by a team of scientists at Washington State University in Spokane has found.
Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the bronchi, which affects 7.8% of Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To arrive at the results, the researchers used Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to analyze the effects of 109 air pollutants among 269 asthmatic elementary school students in different neighborhoods around the Spokane area.
Exposure to air toxics was estimated using the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Toxics Screening Assessment and National Air Toxics Assessment between 2019 and 2020.
Samples that were then compared with health data from each of the school institutions on asthma symptoms such as cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing and the need to use an inhaler.
“It’s not just one pollutant that may be linked to asthma outcomes. “This study examined the variety and mix of air toxics that may be associated with asthma symptoms,” said the study’s lead author, Solmaz Amiri, a researcher at Washington State University College of Medicine.
Asthma: How does air pollution affect it?
The findings, published in the journal Science of the Total Environmentrevealed that three of the contaminants, found in materials used daily by people, were significantly associated with the triggering of asthma symptoms in children: trichloroethane, nitropropane and trichlorophenol.
Trichloroethane is a solvent now used in industry, but was previously found in household cleaners and glues, while nitropropane is a chemical additive for paints and other finishes, and trichlorophenol is an antiseptic and anti-mold agent, banned in the 1980s that could remain in the environment.
“Some of these air toxicants have been discontinued in the US, but they can still be found in materials that may be stored or that people have in their backyard or garage,” Amiri explained in a university news release.
Higher risk in asthmatic children from low-income urban areas
The researchers also found that the types of contaminants vary depending on the area where the children live. Those who lived near factories or highways were significantly more exposed to these toxic chemicals.
Furthermore, children who lived in low-income neighborhoods were at greater risk from these toxic exposures. However, the study does not explain why children in some neighborhoods may be affected by certain pollutants and those who live in other places may not.
According to experts, this is due to the existence of nearby factories or roads in these sectors, which may be the cause of those sources of pollution that are concentrated in low-income neighborhoods.
They noted that previous studies tended to focus on only a few toxic elements in polluted air, although research conducted in New York City showed similar results.
Which indicates that in both Spokane and New York City, “regardless of how large or small the cities are, these air toxics appear to be a risk for asthma among children,” the report states.
Finally, the researchers said that by providing evidence on combinations of air toxics associated with childhood asthma, these findings may contribute to the regulation of these toxicants to improve children’s respiratory health.
@Lydr05
Source: With information from the magazine Science of the Total Environment
