Children’s Vulnerability to Environmental Exposures: Allergies

Oct 14m 2010

Source: NIH

National Library of Medicine

National Center for Biotechnology Information

Photo Source: Unsplash

Allergic and nonallergic disease from air pollution and allergens

Numerous air pollutants with well-established pediatric respiratory effects (Silverman and Ito 2010; Trasande and Thurston 2005) will potentially change as climate changes. Ozone is expected to increase in some regions, and other pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and sulfur oxides, will also potentially change because warming temperatures can affect chemical reaction rates and pollutant transport mechanisms (Ebi and McGregor 2008; Kinney 2008). Wildfires, also a climate-sensitive exposure, can generate significant particulate matter and have been documented to increase risk of respiratory effects and eye irritation among children in affected areas (Kunzli et al. 2006).

Weed pollen, shown to increase in climate change simulation studies, and grass pollen have been associated with children’s asthma exacerbations, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations (Héguy et al. 2008; Schmier and Ebi 2009; Ziska et al. 2008). The last several decades have shown an increasing global trend in the incidence of asthma and potentially other allergic diseases, and some hypothesize that increased aeroallergen exposure from climate change might be partially responsible (Beggs and Bambrick 2005; Beggs and Walczyk 2008). However, more deliberative scientific bodies have not made this same assertion.

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