One in three U.S. public schools are in the "air pollution danger zone," according to a new research released Monday by University of Cincinnati available on Monday.
More than 8,800 schools representing 6 million students in the United States were included in the survey. The research team have found that more than 30 percent of American public schools are within 400 meters of major highways that consistently serve as main truck and traffic routes.
The research has shown that proximity to major highways -- and thus environmental pollutants, such as aerosolizing diesel exhaust particles -- can leave school-age children more susceptible to respiratory diseases later in life.
"This is a major public health concern that should be given serious consideration in future urban development, transportation planning and environmental policies," says Sergey Grinshpun, lead investigator of the study.
To protect the health of young children with developing lungs, he says new schools should be built further from major highways.
"Health risk can be mitigated through proper urban planning, but that doesn't erase the immediate risk to school-age children attending schools that are too close to highways right now," he adds. "Existing schools should be retrofitted with air filtration systems that will reduce students' exposure to traffic pollutants."
The research team reports its findings in the Sept. issue of the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, an international scientific journal.
Source:Xinhua
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