The transport sector’s transition to all-electric power could considerably improve children’s health, in particular by reducing the risk of asthma attacks, according to a recent US study.
The American Lung Association recently carried out research using a model based on a transition to 100% sales of new zero-emission vehicles by 2035 for private cars, and by 2040 for commercial vehicles and trucks. It also envisages a totally clean electricity grid by 2035.
Their findings suggest that close to 2.8 million paediatric asthma attacks could be avoided and many infant deaths prevented in the US by 2050.
Reducing air pollution is the first visible consequence of this energy transition, which has the positive knock-on effect of significantly improving children’s respiratory health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
This, in turn, could help to eliminate 2.7 million cases of upper respiratory symptoms (wet cough, runny nose, burning eyes) and 1.9 million lower respiratory symptoms (coughing, wheezing or chest pain). In addition, 147,000 cases of acute bronchitis and 508 cases of infant mortality could be avoided.
There are other positive effects, too, such as a reduction in noise, which can not only disturb children’s sleep but also hinder their cognitive development.
Finally, electric cars are equipped with advanced safety technologies designed to reduce the risk of road accidents, a major cause of death among children.
Therefore, by choosing an electric car, parents can help protect both the environment and their family’s health.
“The health harms for children associated with breathing polluted air are wide-ranging and long-lasting,” the American Lung Association explained in its report.
“Exposure to air pollution in children can not only cause immediate respiratory harm like coughing, wheezing and the worsening of respiratory diseases like asthma; it can reduce lung growth and function and increase asthma incidence.
“Air pollution exposure in children is also associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, IQ loss, paediatric cancers, and increased risks for adult chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease,” it cautioned.
