CHILDREN driven to school by car are exposed to twice as much traffic pollution as pupils walking along busy roads, research reveals today.
Fumes sucked in through the air conditioning systems turns cars into pollution traps, especially in heavy traffic.
Read more: Most polluted streets in Scotland revealed
The studies also showed that children walking to primary and nursery schools breathe in 30 per cent more harmful fumes as adults because they are shorter and closer to the particulates and nitrogen oxides pumped out by road traffic.
The findings are based on experiments carried out using air pollution monitors in various UK locations - including Busby in East Renfrewshire and East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire - to coincide with Clean Air Day. The other sites were Manchester, Leeds and London.
It was led by environmental charity, Global Action Plan.
In Scotland, 59 per cent of primary age children walk to school and 30 per cent travel by car, according to the most recent national travel survey.
Read more: Living close to a busy road linked to increased risk of dementia
Air pollution is associated with reduced lung growth in childhood, severity of asthma and pneumonia.
Professor Jonathan Grigg, a fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and an expert in paediatric respiratory and environmental medicine, said: “Although parents can reduce this impact by walking on less polluted roads and taking public transport, [UK governments] must take further steps to reduce toxic emissions from all roads.”
The tests were conducted using air pollution monitors, called micro-Athelometers, attached to the back packs of children or carried at shoulder height by adults.
On average, the experiments found that children walking to school on a busy route were exposed to 2.5 times more pollution from petrol and diesel exhaust fumes than pupils on a quiet route, while youngsters were breathing in 30 per cent more particulates and nitrogen oxide fumes than the adults.
Read more: Glasgow's new low emissions zone will only apply to one in five buses by end of 2018
However, children travelling to school by car were exposed to double the amount of particulates and nitrogen oxides as pupils on busy roads due to the build up of pollutants inside the vehicle.
John Bynorth, from Jackton, near East Kilbride, took part in the experiment with his children, four-year-old Daisy and Mitzi, aged two, who attend a nursery school in Busby.
Mr Bynorth, who works for Environmental Protection Scotland, the agency coordinating Clean Air Day events in Scotland, said: “I wasn’t aware that my children could be more exposed to air pollution but looking at the facts – it is obvious. They are small and so much closer to fumes.
"The results of this research are quite shocking really and something needs to be done about air pollution for the sake of our children.
"Children are too young to speak up about air pollution so the adults have got to do something about it now.”
Joe Farrington Douglas, head of charity Asthma UK, said the findings were "really shocking" for children with the condition.
He added: “These deadly fumes could leave them gasping for breath and at risk of having a life-threatening asthma attack."
Humza Yousaf, Scotland's transport minister, said: “Poor air quality is bad for everyone, and we know that for the oldest and youngest in our society and those with existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, air quality is an especially serious issue.
"This is why we have committed to introducing Low Emission Zones into Scotland’s four biggest cities between 2018 and 2020."
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