Children from the poorest families are most affected by air pollution, according to a study

Equally exposed, but not as affected. Children from the poorest families but also those from the richest families are the most exposed to air pollution, reveals a study published on Thursday 4 January by the Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES).

Urban centers and suburbs are the most polluted areas

This is explained by the demographics of the most polluted areas of France, which are located in urban centers, but also in the suburbs. Areas in which the richest families and their children are mostly concentrated for the former, and the more modest families for the latter.

However, children from the poorest families are much more vulnerable than others. Because according to the conclusions of the study, the most polluted suburbs and municipalities, inhabited by the poorest, are, particularly exposed to air pollution.

Read also: No, you don’t need to stop having children to save the climate

Therefore the DREES emphasizes that children from the most modest backgrounds they are the most represented in hospitalizations for respiratory problems. This is mainly explained because they are born with poorer health conditions than children from wealthy families, regardless of the impact of air pollution.

According to the study, reducing children’s exposure to this air pollution by only 1% during their first year of life, thus avoiding several thousands hospitalizations. Every year, 11,000 three-year-old children are emergency hospitalized for asthma and 28,000 under two years old for cases of bronchiolitis, Franceinfo highlights.

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