bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Elizabeth Cheung

Medical experts are urging the government to take more effective action to clear the city's air after a new study found that air pollution restricts the growth of children's lungs.
The preliminary analysis of a six-year study done in Britain indicates that children exposed to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter have slower lung growth.
Professor Frank Kelly, an environmental health expert at King's College, London, said a child could lose as much as 165ml of lung volume under high-level exposure to nitrogen dioxide.
The professor said the impact of a smaller lung was lifelong and could "contribute to the development of chronic lung diseases such as asthma".
Studies in Hong Kong have found similar results. Dr Alfred Tam Yat-cheung of the Hong Kong Society of Paediatric Respirology said that children living in polluted districts suffered from restricted lung growth, while girls had a more significant decline in lung volume than boys.
A weaker and smaller lung means children might have more difficulty doing exercise and a lower resistance to respiratory diseases, said Tam.
But the specifics of how pollutants restrict the development of lungs is still being studied. "Perhaps children have smaller lungs than adults, and therefore they inhale more air pollutants. However, this is still just speculation," Kelly said.
Ruby Tse, 24, a long-term rhinitis patient, started to suffer from asthma three years ago when she was studying in the UK. The problem persisted when she returned to Hong Kong in 2012.
She says her health improves when she avoids crowded areas such as Mong Kok or Causeway Bay on heavily polluted days. She also exercises indoors to strengthen her respiratory system and has reduced her reliance on an asthma inhaler from six times to twice a day.
To improve lung function and build defences against pollution, medical experts recommended a diet rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C and E, and urged the government to take more action to improve air quality.
Undersecretary for the Environment Christine Loh Kung-wai said major steps were being taken, including the replacement of catalytic converters in minibuses and taxis, and the replacement of more than 80,000 diesel vehicles by 2019.


HSBC, Cathay Pacific, EcoCeres join forces on Hong Kong sustainable aviation fuel push

Diabetes facts you need to know, air pollution link to dementia, secrets to a longer life and more

How air pollution increases dementia risk and ways to limit your exposure

Public display of flags is subject to Malaysian law

Hong Kong air pollution

Air pollution slows growth of children's lungs, says UK study

Children living in polluted districts suffer from restricted lung growth. Photo: Felix Wong

Children living in polluted districts suffer from restricted lung growth.

News

Hong Kong

Medical experts call for more action to clean air as UK study warns of nitrogen dioxide damage


Medical experts are urging the government to take more effective action to clear the city's air after a new study found that air pollution restricts the growth of children's lungs.
