TORONTO – Urban traffic pollution makes asthma worse according to Mexican researchers. The negative impact of pollution from vehicles actually meant that children with asthma had to resort to their medication more often.

Dr Isabelle Romieu of the Institute Nacional de Sauld Publica said that an increase in atmospheric pollutants meant an increase in coughing, wheezing and medication usage among kids with asthma, while kids without the chronic condition only experienced increased coughing. The study pointed a finger at small buses running on gasoline or natural gas, as well as large buses and trucks running on diesel fuel.

The researchers urged the Mexican government to take action, based on their findings. The study says, “These results have significant public health policy implications, as a large proportion of schools in Mexico City and other countries are located close to roads [with] heavy traffic.”

The study followed almost 200 children for 22 weeks in a southeastern area of Mexico City, where they are exposed to heavy traffic. There were 147 children with asthma and 50 without. All children had been recruited at a local pediatric hospital.

Parents were asked to keep track of three symptoms on a daily basis: cough, wheeze and breathing difficulty. For children with asthma, the parent also kept track of when medications were taken. Researchers then tracked levels of air-borne pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, ozone and diesel fuel particulates at the schools attended by the study participants.

Once the data was collated, it was clear that traffic exhaust affected kids with asthma.

Researchers noted that this study was done because no specific data existed on the impact of air-borne pollutants on children in the Mexico City area. As one of the most polluted urban areas in the world, Mexico City actually has about 85 per cent of that pollution being caused by motorized vehicles.

Source: CBC News