{"text":[[{"start":7.2,"text":"Better air quality following the introduction of a strict low-emission zone for vehicles in London has brought a significant improvement in lung health for children living in the capital, scientists have found in what they described as a “landmark study”."}],[{"start":20.45,"text":"Researchers led by Queen Mary University of London compared the lung size and function of about 1,600 children aged six to nine in London primary schools with a matched group of 1,600 in Luton. "}],[{"start":33.65,"text":"When the study started in the year before the introduction of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) in 2019, children in the capital had significantly smaller lungs on average than counterparts in Luton. By 2022 their pulmonary size and performance were comparable with Luton children. "}],[{"start":52.45,"text":"The researchers attributed the improvement to better air quality as a result of the Ulez, which levies a charge of £12.50 per day on cars that fail to meet air quality standards. Children’s exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a key pollutant, fell twice as fast in London as in Luton over that period. "}],[{"start":71.1,"text":"The proportion of children with clinically impaired lung function fell from 14 per cent to 9 per cent in London, compared with a smaller decline from 9 per cent to 7 per cent in Luton, during the course of the study. Results were published in The Lancet Public Health."}],[{"start":88.44999999999999,"text":"The Ulez was launched by London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan in 2019 and subsequently expanded in 2023 to cover all of Greater London."}],[{"start":97.04999999999998,"text":"Luton, which is 32 miles north of the capital, was selected as a control site because it had a broadly similar demographic profile and mixture of pollution sources but no plan to introduce a low-emission zone."}],[{"start":109.04999999999998,"text":"Helen Wood, research fellow at Queen Mary and lead author, said: “We already knew that the Ulez reduced air pollution but now we know that children’s lung health has improved at the same time, which is a really important finding for children and parents living in London."}],[{"start":124.24999999999999,"text":"“However, we must not be complacent. Air pollution in both London and Luton, as well as other cities across the UK, remains above World Health Organization guideline levels, so there is still work to be done.” "}],[{"start":137.2,"text":"The UK government funded the project through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and health minister Karin Smyth endorsed its findings ahead of publication, saying it was “a powerful reminder of the impact that air quality has on children’s lung health”."}],[{"start":152.04999999999998,"text":"In a statement, Khan said: “This landmark independent report provides yet more compelling evidence that the London Ulez, the world’s biggest clean air zone, is working and has been a huge success, showing it’s never too late to act against the devastating effects of air pollution.”"}],[{"start":168.79999999999998,"text":"Stephen Burgess, professor of biostatistics at the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the project, said: “I approached this study with a high level of scepticism. My expectation was that the Ulez regulations would have little measurable impact on child health. However, the findings are striking.”"}],[{"start":186.74999999999997,"text":"Burgess said it was not clear how much of the improvement in London was due to reduced air pollution rather than other changes in behaviour over the study period, such as increased physical activity as more children walked to school. "}],[{"start":199.34999999999997,"text":"“Nevertheless, the finding is important because lung function in childhood is an important measure of health,” he added, “and the study provides encouraging evidence that changes in the urban environment may benefit children’s lung development.”"}],[{"start":220.49999999999994,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1787116142_8476.mp3"}