One in three UK children impacted by air pollution, says UNICEF

New analysis has found large numbers of children in the UK are breathing in toxic air.

Unicef, the UN’s children’s charity, estimates that 4.5 million young people are growing up in areas which have unsafe levels of particulate matter. These tiny particles, measured by whether they are more than 2.5mm or 10mm wide, can have serious health impacts. Long-term exposure can cause asthma, cardiovascular disease, and impact lung growth.

The charity analysed data from the World Health Organisation’s air pollution database, released in May, combined with population data across the country. This allowed the researchers to find areas which have more babies and young children breathing in toxic air.

The most affected cities for the 2.5mm particulates were found to be Birmingham, London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Bristol.

Their estimates include 1.6 million of children aged five and younger, and 270,000 babies, impacted by air pollution.

Amy Gibbs, Unicef UK’s Director of Advocacy, said: “We already know that air pollution is harmful, but these findings force us to face a shocking reality about the acute impact on children’s health. Worryingly, one-third of our children could be filling their lungs with toxic air that puts them at risk of serious, long-term health conditions.”

“We wouldn’t make our children drink dirty water, so why are we allowing them to breathe dirty air?” she added.

Unicef is lobbying the government to provide targeted funding to reduce children’s exposure in the most polluted areas. The call echoes similar efforts made this week from Mayors and city leaders across the UK during a clean air summit. The politicians are suggesting a new Clean Air Act which will tighten air quality standards and bringing forward a proposed ban on diesel cars by 10 years.

The World Health Organisation’s global data paints a grim picture on air quality; an estimated 90 percent of the world’s population is breathing polluted air, with Indian cities topping the list of affected urban areas.