Allergies in the child: pollution in charge!

Allergies in the child:
pollution in charge!
In constant increase, the allergies of the child touch close to a child on three in the world. For the first time in France, pollution is directly shown to develop asthma and the allergies. Effects noted even in the event of light goings beyond of the authorized thresholds…

One does not doubt today any more the misdeeds of pollution on the human health. A French study estimated thus that the atmospheric pollutants were responsible for 3.000 deaths per annum, mainly by cardiovascular mortality! In addition, one also knows that the automobile pollutants support the microbial infections at young people, in particular the fine particles and nitrogen dioxide.

Asthma, allergies… suspectée pollution

It is known that the asthmatic people and the children in general are regarded as being more vulnerable to the exposure to the atmospheric pollutants. But several studies strongly suspectés the implication of these pollutants in which has occurred even of asthma and the allergy. In 2001, the Korean work undertaken near 8.000 enfants1 suggests such a bond. A report far from being pain-killer when one knows that in France, one would count approximately 25% of allergic and they are each year increasingly many!
Many data connect pollution due to the road traffic to the allergies. In laboratory (in vitro), for example, the fine particles emitted by the vehicles diesel, support the immunoglobulin synthesis E (one of the marker of the allergy). In vivo, the NO2, as for him, irritates the lungs, decreases defenses of the organization against the infections of the respiratory tracts and was blamed in which has occurred of asthma. In short, it seems obvious that there exists an association between the increase in the concentration of fine particles in the atmosphere and the allergies. Nevertheless, the scientific evidence missed…

Suspicion with the proof

Today, for the first time in France, the study of the National institute of health and the medical research (Inserm) brings new elements making it possible to specify the medical effects of the pollution of proximity on more than 5.000 enfants2. To measure the real exposure to automobile pollution, of the sensors were installed in 108 schools of the 6 cities: Creteil, Rheims, Strasbourg, Clermont-Ferrand, Bordeaux and Marseilles. In parallel, of the doctors examined the children and carried out a checkup: tests allergologic cutaneous, test of free motion in order to determine the appearance of one asthma to the effort…

For the few 5300 children whose checkup was complete, the investigation shows a bond between automobile pollution and the appearance of asthma and allergies. More precisely, an even modest going beyond of the thresholds of pollution recommended by the World Health Organization (40 g/m3 for the NO2 and 10µg/m3 for the particles) during at least eight years leads to a significant growth of allergic asthma (almost 2 times more), of asthma to the effort (1,5 times) and of eczema (3 times) compared to the children who live in zones where the concentrations are lower. An identical tendency is also observed for the hay cold.

Vis-a-vis these results, Isabella Annesi-Maesano, in charge of research to Inserm and coordinator of this investigation is alarmed: “The maximum values recommended by WHO were considered a long time acceptable and without danger. But more and more of data indicate that one finds effects harmful for values which do not exceed them much. They are allergic, respiratory, cardiovascular effects…” 3. And these thresholds are lower than those of the European directive which tolerates rates of fine particles of 25 µg/m3, a limit which would become constraining only in 2015… Today, no threshold of concentration in on this side which the ambient particles are without forever identified effect on health…