California’s Clean Air Efforts Benefit Children’s Health

Ambient air pollution has been shown to have negative effects on the respiratory health of growing children. Earlier this month, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study which shows that a decrease in air pollution has resulted in a marked increase in the respiratory health in children. This is exciting evidence to encourage the continuation of clean air efforts.

Southern California has had high levels of air pollution since a boom in population and industry during the Second World War. The first reported appearance of heavy smog was in the summer of 1943, when visibility was reduced to just three blocks. The haze caused people to experience respiratory discomfort, pain in their eyes, as well as nausea and vomiting. At the time, it was believed that a synthetic rubber factory was the culprit but problems persisted even after the plant was closed. In 1947, California passed legislation which resulted in the formation of Air Pollution Control Districts throughout the state – the first serious effort of its kind in the United States. A few cities, such as Philadelphia, had passed smoke ordinances well before 1947 but California’s Air Pollution Control Act was much more comprehensive. The United States Congress followed suit by passing a bill with similar stipulations in 1955.

The decades have passed and the science has improved but the air quality in California is still a problem because it’s unique geographical features trap in the excessive amounts of emissions coming from the enormous amount of vehicles, multitude of industries, and the nation’s largest seaport complex. As such, California has continuously had to strengthen their commitment to improving air quality. California’s Air Resources Board (ARB) was established in 1967 to merge the different agencies working to control vehicle and industrial emissions into one. It is no easy task to fight such air pollution but their commitment to protect public health appears to be paying off.

Twenty years ago, doctors reported that a startling percentage of children living in Southern California had abnormally low lung function when compared to their counterparts living in other areas. Children whose lung growth is stunted as a result of air pollution grow into adults who are more vulnerable to respiratory and cardiovascular problems which may ultimately contribute to premature death. Doctors and scientists from the University of Southern California started their Children’s Health Study in 1993. This ongoing cohort study has followed over 11,000 children from different communities in Southern California. The most recent group of children has shown improvements in lung development over their peers from the first control group. This progress was reported for children with and without asthma – meaning everyone benefits from cleaner air. Positive results were recorded for the whole population tested despite differences in a variety of factors including exposure to second-hand smoke, pet ownership, education levels, and ethnicity.

Some have taken to social media to joke that this is an obvious conclusion.

Arguably, it does seem simple – cleaner air, stronger lungs – but the gains that have been made are larger than could have been expected in such a short time frame. These results give credence to the sacrifices that the citizens and businesses of California have had to make in order to fight air pollution. This could be considered an important battle which has been won in a very long war over the health of the environment.

Progress has been made but parts of Southern California, as well as the rest of the country, continue to maintain dangerously high levels of air pollution. Aggressive efforts still need to be made to ensure that gains in air quality continue. The study also concluded that past the teenage years it is not possible to grow bigger or stronger lungs – even if the air is cleaner – which adds urgency to the current fight. Fortunately, California’s environmental initiatives typically serve as the model for federal regulations to follow. Results like this will hopefully inspire further action and potentially, stronger lungs for everyone.