Ultra low emission zones linked to improved lung capacity in kids: UK study

Children’s lung capacity improved significantly after vehicles that cause the most pollution were prohibited from driving in certain parts of London, U.K., designated as low and ultra low emissions zones, a new study found. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and Oxford University examined over 3,000 school children aged six to nine in central London and Luton before and after the introduction of the ultra low low emissions zones (ulez) and found that the London children’s’ lung capacity was restored to healthy levels after it was initially stunted by exposure to pollution. 4:17 SFU study finds chemical pollutants in Fraser River Chinook salmon Story continues below advertisement Luton, the study’s comparator site, is a town outside of London and does not have any designated clean air zones. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. “This evidence supports wider implementation of clean air zones as a public health intervention,” the study says, arguing that it marks an evidentiary breakthrough for an initiative which in the past had been criticized for burdening drivers.Mayor of London Sadiq Khan introduc...