University of California, Los Angeles PUB HLT C150 Bioc

Addressing the Effects of Ambient Air Pollution on Childhood Asthma Rates in Los Angeles
County
Asthma is the most common pediatric chronic illness (Simon et al. 2). It is a leading
cause of disability in children, according to the latest Los Angeles County Health Survey from
1999 to 2000 (Simon et al. 6). A 2019 cohort study found that nitrogen dioxide, a regional air
and traffic-related pollution marker, significantly contributed to the incidence of asthma in in
Southern California (Garcia et al. 6). The effects of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate
matter 2.5 present in a greater degree in children. During exercise, children experience more
ventilation within the lungs, while the doses of lung pollutants per kilogram of bodyweight
increases from inhalation (Künzli et al. 2). The recent findings relate stricter air quality standards
(Künzli et al. 4) to a decrease of new pediatric asthma cases in the region between 1993 and
2014 (Garcia et al. 6). Thus, it is especially imperative to consistently enforce current air quality
regulations (4), implement more disincentives to single-occupant drivers, and consider incentives
for compact cities in Los Angeles County, since childhood asthma presents considerable burdens
to families and disproportionally affects certain communities (California Department of Public
Health 3)