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Impact of Environmental Pollution on Children’s Lung Health
Summary
This review synthesized evidence that environmental pollutants—including air pollution, heavy metals, and microplastics—significantly harm children's health, with even low-level exposure impairing fetal development, neurodevelopment, and respiratory function in young children.
Environmental pollution poses a significant threat to children’s health globally. Children, especially those under five years of age, are highly susceptible to various environmental pollutants—air, water, soil, plastics, and microplastics. Numerous meta-analyses have demonstrated a negative correlation between pollution exposure and child health outcomes. Even low-level exposure impacts fetal development, neurodevelopment (e.g., cognitive deficits, attention disorders, autism), and increases risks of prematurity, low birth weight, respiratory illnesses (e.g., asthma, bronchitis), immune dysfunction, and endocrine disorders. Nearly 50% of deaths from lower respiratory infections in children under five are linked to particulate matter from indoor air pollution. According to the WHO (2018), 90% of the world’s children breathe toxic air, and air pollution accounts for 600,000 deaths annually in those under 15 years. Furthermore, WHO (2022) reported that 17% of pneumonia-related deaths in children were due to ambient air pollution. This review highlights both the short- and long-term impacts of environmental pollution on children’s respiratory health, particularly in children under five, supported by global evidence.
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