Children’s lung capacity improved significantly after driving vehicles that cause the most pollution was banned in certain parts of London, UK, which are classified as low and very low emission areas. New study Found.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Oxford examined more than 3,000 schoolchildren aged between six and nine in central London and Luton before and after the introduction of ultra-low emission zones (ULZ) and found that the lung capacity of London’s children had been restored to healthy levels after initially being stunted by exposure to pollution.
Luton, the comparison site for the study, is a city outside London that does not have any designated clean air zones.
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“This evidence supports broader implementation of clean air zones as a public health intervention,” the study says, arguing that they represent a clear breakthrough for an initiative that has been criticized in the past for burdening drivers.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan introduced the plan more than seven years ago, writing in an article for The Guardian This week, when it was first reported that he faced a backlash from his critics, who he said accused him of declaring “war on drivers in blind pursuit of a policy that may not even work.”
The new results show that it is effective.
Over the course of four years, the study found that the proportion of children with poor lung function decreased in both London and Luton, from 14% to 9% in London, and from 9% to 7% in Luton.
“To our knowledge, we provide the first evidence that improved air quality following the introduction of a clean air zone is associated with improved lung growth trajectories in children,” the study authors wrote.
According to their findings, exposure to traffic-related air pollution is strongly associated with impaired lung development in children and adolescents, and failure to reach maximum lung growth poses an increased risk of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality.
It also showed that children’s lung development accelerates in areas with very low emissions and that this is linked to improved air quality. Lung capacity depletion was specifically associated with the presence of nitrogen dioxide.
Based on the evidence, the researchers concluded that low-emission zones should be implemented on a larger, international scale.
“Children continue to be exposed to poor air quality in cities globally, and global policymakers should consider accelerating the establishment of clean air zones to improve children’s lung health,” they wrote.
There are no similar initiatives currently underway in Canada.
The federal government has specified that Vehicle emission standardswhich requires automakers to meet increasingly stringent low-emissions requirements.
Toronto has considered implementing congestion charging and low-emission zones to reduce traffic along major travel routes. These policies typically require drivers to pay for using a polluting vehicle within certain areas.
&Copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
