Retrospective assessment of the association between urban air pollution and children’s respiratory functions in Rome: Insights for developmental environmental health

Background & aims

Naturogenic aspects of global warming are amplified by the anthropogenic effects of the persistent exponential global population growth. Urbanization without proper planning escalates serious all-time disease pathologies in vulnerable populations, such as children, through pollution of toxic gases. We illustrate these associations with a retrospective study of respiratory heath in children living in downtown Rome when this dense urban center recorded one of the highest air pollution levels in Europe.

Methods

Lung and respiratory function parameters were evaluated from 2006 to 2007 in a cohort of 90 children including two age subgroups (>10 years and <10 years). Additionally, historical air pollution data from 2006 to 2008 and 2020–2021, collected from urban traffic and urban background stations in Rome, was obtained to allow for a correlational analysis between air pollution and children's respiratory health.

Results

Severe impairments on the Mead Expiratory Flow Rate were revealed alongside an increase in allergenic atopics. Historical data showed no differences between measurements from urban background and traffic stations for PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO, and NO₂, and no significant time trends. However, although both declined over time, CO measurements were consistently higher from traffic than background stations.

Conclusions

Our correlational study indicates that decreases in respiratory health and function may be associated with air pollution, leading to increased susceptibility to viral infections, such as COVID-19, especially in vulnerable populations. In this context, vulnerable populations’ environmental health and disease prevention, also linked with climate change, could be addressed by focusing efforts on combatting urban pollution.