Every Year Two Million Child Asthma Cases Are Related to Vehicle Emissions

Asthma is one of the most common diseases in the world. Wherever you go, there’s always someone suffering from asthma. This is not good news, though, as the number of people with asthma increases almost every year, especially in places with poor air quality.

Air pollution has become a global problem that is more dangerous than cigarette smoking, alcohol addiction, and even HIV and AIDS. Millions of deaths each year are linked to dirty air and the numbers continue to rise. The most vulnerable population in this situation are the children.

In a study conducted by George Washington University researchers, it was discovered that nitrogen dioxide or NO2 increases the risks of children developing asthma, especially those who live in or near urban areas. They used data collected from new paediatric asthma cases from the years 2000 to 2019. The researchers focused their study on around 13,000 cities.

Published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal, the study showed evidence that of the approximately 1.85 million new cases of asthma in children around the world in 2019, around two-thirds have strong links with NO2.

According to the study, London has the greatest number of cases in the UK, with 10,770. Birmingham is a far second with 2,550 recorded cases while Leeds has 1,440. Glasgow was next on the list with 1,220 cases.

Additionally, excess deaths that same year totalled 1.8 million, and all are attributed to urban air pollution. This detail came from a second study that showed how 86% of children and adults who reside in cities across the world are regularly exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at levels more than the World Health Organization guidelines.

Of the 1.8 million, around 5,950 cases happened in London while Birmingham’s numbers are at 1,330. Approximately 730 excess deaths were recorded in Leeds while 670 cases are attributed to Liverpool.

PM2.5 is easily inhaled and can travel from the lungs to the bloodstream. It increases a person’s risks for cardiovascular diseases, lower respiratory infection, lung cancer, and respiratory disease – which can all lead to premature death.

Globally, the average concentration of PM2.5 was at 35µg/m³ in 2019, which is in excess of 5 µg/m³, the WHO’s 2021 limit. Previously published studies indicate that the average PM2.5 concentration in the UK is around 13µg/m³.

George Washington University’s Veronica Sutherland summarised what both studies’ findings mean – a major part of the global urban population have increasingly high levels of PM2.5.

Diesel emissions scandal

The Dieselgate scandal is a contributor to air pollution. Vehicles affected by the scandal emit excessive amounts of NOx or nitrogen oxide, which is harmful to the environment and human health. NOx has NO2 and nitric oxide (NO) as primary components. It is responsible for the formation of acid rain and smog and produces ground-level ozone, which is a heavy pollutant.

In September 2015, US authorities sent the Volkswagen Group a Notice of Violation for the alleged use of defeat devices in Audi and Volkswagen diesel vehicles that they sold to American consumers. Defeat devices are programmed to sense when a vehicle is in the lab for regulatory testing. Once they do so, they automatically and artificially reduce emissions levels to within the WHO-mandated limits.

As such, during testing, the vehicle is high-performing, fuel-efficient, and emissions-compliant. In reality, however, it is not because it releases voluminous amounts of NOx once driven in real-life driving conditions. A defeat device-equipped vehicle is a pollutant.

The Volkswagen Group denied the accusations but said they knew defeat devices were installed in their diesel vehicles.

Other vehicles involved in the diesel emissions scandal include Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Vauxhall.

Mercedes received the same notice that authorities sent to the VW Group. The BMW emissions scandal started after the carmaker was investigated for setting up a cartel with the Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz to delay cleaner emissions technology.

Vauxhall is the latest addition to the list, with claims cases filed only in 2021.

NOx emissions health effects

Aside from nitrogen oxide emissions’ impacts on the environment, there are also health issues that you need to consider, including:

Difficulty in breathing

Lung problems (i.e., fluid can develop in the lungs)

Asthma

Emphysema and other respiratory illnesses

Vocal cords spasm

Asphyxiation

Chronic lung function reduction

Cancer

Cardiovascular diseases

Premature death

These health impacts and the false advertising are why you need to bring forward a diesel emissions claim against your manufacturer. Every affected carmaker should be held responsible for their deceptive actions.

How do I bring forward my diesel claim?

Bringing forward a diesel claim can be a long and tedious process, but there are emissions experts who can help you out. Before you can start, however, you will need to verify first if you are eligible to file a claim. Only certain models and manufacturing dates are covered by the diesel emissions scandal, so ensuring your eligibility is important.

Visit Emissions.co.uk; they have all the information you need to start your cla