Scientists talked about the impact of polluted air on children

Prolonged exposure to polluted air at home and at school may be associated with an increase in the overall risk of metabolic syndrome in children. The researchers found the most pronounced correlation for pollution in the area of educational institutions. This was reported on July 21 in the journal Medical Xpress.

The study involved 1,147 children aged six to 11 years from France, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. The scientists assessed the effects of fine particles of PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide NO2 in three main environments: at the child's place of residence, near school, and along the route between home and educational institution. Using air pollution models, experts calculated the average concentrations of substances a year before the medical examination.

Metabolic syndrome is a set of interrelated disorders, including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, changes in glucose and insulin levels, as well as lipid metabolism disorders. In childhood, researchers usually do not assess the presence of a definitive diagnosis, but rather a total risk indicator based on waist circumference, blood pressure, blood lipids, and insulin levels.

Higher annual exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 at home and at school was associated with an increase in this indicator. At the same time, the association turned out to be stronger for pollution near schools, although the levels of pollutants in the areas of residence and education of children were closely interrelated. The average annual concentrations of both pollutants in the studied locations systematically exceeded the recommendations of the World Health Organization.

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One possible explanation for the more pronounced connection with the school environment may be the physical activity of children. During games and sports, the frequency and depth of breathing increase, so more pollutants can enter the body. However, the study does not prove that this mechanism explains the result.

At the same time, scientists have not found a significant association between metabolic risk and exposure to pollution during trips or walks along the route from home to school. There was also no dependence on the short-term level of contamination for several days or weeks before the examination. According to the authors, this indicates a gradual accumulation of changes, rather than an acute reaction of the body.

Potential mechanisms may include systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, dysregulation of glucose, lipid metabolism, and blood pressure. All these processes are capable of participating in the formation of cardiometabolic disorders. At the same time, the observational nature of the study does not allow us to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

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