What is the problem?
Air pollutants, such as those from vehicle exhausts, negatively impact on the health of both children and adults.
Unfortunately, Bradford has illegal levels of pollution – centred on deprived inner city areas. It is estimated that a third of asthma cases in the city are as a result of air pollution. In 2018 Bradford received a ministerial direction to quickly reduce pollution in the city by implementing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ).
What have we found?
Early BiB research uncovered links between pollution and low birth weight of babies in Bradford.
As children grow up, BiB found exposure to air pollution during early life to be related to higher blood pressure and poorer cognitive development at ages 4 – 5; and indoor air quality to related to childhood obesity at ages 6 – 11.
What has happened?
We have been working with communities and schools across the district to co-produce and implement interventions to reduce exposure to air pollution.