Study links schools in low-income areas with pollution

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s another reason some children have it tougher than other kids; new research finds schools in low-income neighbourhoods are more likely to be exposed to air and noise pollution.

SFU Assistant Professor and study co-author Ryan Allen looked at more than 1,500 schools in Canada’s 10 largest cities. He says the difference between poor neighbourhoods and wealthier ones is quite significant.

“Twenty-two percent of schools [in low-income areas] were located close to roads and in the wealthiest neighbourhoods, that number was closer to 10 per cent,” he explains.

Allen adds that can lead to more problems at children grow up. “Spending large amounts of time in proximity to major roads is associated with a number of adverse health effects, both from the air pollution and from the noise.”

Other studies have shown the greater a child’s exposure to such pollution, the more likely they are to develop asthma, high blood pressure, and reduced sleep quality.

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