The influence of industrial air pollution begins before birth. This is evident from the data of almost 4500 babies. The more exposed their mothers were to particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen oxide (NOX), sulfur oxide (SO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), the lower the birth weight.
Ten percent of the most exposed mothers in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen have an average of 75 grams lighter babies due to air pollution from industry. A weight reduction of 75 grams is comparable to the effect of second-hand smoke during pregnancy. In comparison: smoking mothers have an average of 270 grams lighter children.
“We don’t know yet what that means exactly for the health of the babies,” says Arnold Bergstra. He recently obtained his PhD for research. “But we do know from other studies that lower birth weight infants have a higher risk of respiratory problems in childhood and coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and non-insulin-dependent diabetes later in life. applies to them.”
Older children aged 7-13 years were more likely to experience chest wheezing when they were exposed to particulate matter (PM25) and nitrogen oxide. They also had more frequent dry coughs. The researcher looked at the lung function tests of 665 children and found that they scored worse on this test. On average, the difference was not large, but among children with poor lung function (children with, for example, asthma) there was a substantial difference.
Adults who live near polluting industry are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases. “We saw that residents who are exposed to particulate matter and nitrous oxide more often use drugs against cardiovascular diseases. Sulfur oxide and particulate matter more often lead to diseases that cause inflammatory reactions, or inflammatory disorders. An increase of up to about 10 percent has been observed in the vicinity of the industry. up to 15 percent possible.”
Impact on health
The average health effects found are not large. However, the impact on public health is determined by the size of the health effect and the size of the exposed group. Bergstra: “Because these are relatively large groups, it is therefore useful for the government to draw up a policy to reduce industrial air pollution, in order to improve public health.”
By: National Care Guide
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