CHILDREN'S HEALTH: less pollution, less earache?

摘要

Children exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke suffer more ear infections. Irritating toxicants in cigarette smoke, such as carbon monoxide (CO) and sulfur dioxide (SO_2), also are constituents of vehicular emissions, so it's not surprising that children exposed to high levels of traffic pollution also have more ear infections, as shown by studies published in the September 2006 EHP and the May 2007 European Respiratory Journal. In the newest twist on the air pollution/ear infection connection, researchers have linked improvement in U.S. air quality over a decade with a reduction in the prevalence of pediatric ear infections.