Paediatricians take aim at wood burners
Paediatricians at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) have published an updated position statement, in response to the growing evidence of the societal and health effects of poor air quality, particularly on young children.
They single out the use of domestic wood burners, which are responsible for 22% of all the PM2.5 emissions in the UK.
The amount to which this has become a very modern problem is reflected in an article we wrote in 2020, when the RCPH were calling on the government to do more to protect children from indoor air pollution. Tellingly, amongst the talk of volatile organic compounds, damp and poor ventilation, domestic woodburning was never mentioned.
In the new statement they call for domestic wood-burning in urban areas to be phased-out and support given to rural residents and those in fuel poverty to move to cleaner heat sources.
They also emphasise the link between health inequality and air quality and, to that end, they call for a Clean Air Act (Ella’s Law) and the implementation of Awaab’s Law to protect renters from damp and mould.
They also call for air quality monitoring around schools and more to be done to promote active travel. See the bottom of this article for their full recommendations.
RCPCH VP for Policy & Paediatric Respiratory Consultant, Dr Mike McKean, said: ‘This year air pollution has officially overtaken high blood pressure and smoking as the leading contributor to global disease. Exposure to air pollution is now the second leading risk factor for death in children under 5, both globally and in the UK. As a consultant in respiratory paediatrics, I am especially concerned about the impact of air pollution on a child’s developing lungs.
‘Breathing dirty air as a child irreversibly stunts lung growth and continues to affect lung capacity in adulthood, in some cases it can even result in death. RCPCH’s updated position statement details the tragic cases of Ella Kissi-Debrah, who died as direct result of asthma caused by air pollution, and Awaab Ishak, who died as a result of complications associated with mould in his home. As paediatricians we want to ensure that no child should suffer as Ella and Awaab did.
‘Our new recommendations that promote clean air both outside and inside the home can help our children to stay in school and out of hospital and reduce pressure on the healthcare system. Immediate action is needed to make the UK – and indeed the planet – a safer place for every child and young person.
Dr Emily Parker, RCPCH Clinical Fellow, Paediatric Junior Doctor and one of the position statement’s authors, said: ‘As a doctor working in paediatric A&E, I see the impacts of air pollution on children during almost every shift. I want to protect them from this avoidable harm, but there is a limit to what I or any clinician can do through clinical work.
‘That’s why we’re calling on the government to prioritise taking national action and tackle the top causes of PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide, the two air pollutants that are most harmful to children’s health. In 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) outlined new, evidence-based targets for these pollutants, yet the government has not yet committed to meeting these guidelines, which are aimed at protecting human health. Air pollution limits across the UK are currently set dangerously high, often at 4 times WHO guidelines. As of yet, no government plan is in place to reduce these levels.
‘Tackling air pollution requires a cross-governmental approach so our recommendations are aimed at specific departments such as transport, education, and housing. If the UK Government is serious about raising the healthiest generation ever, then it must take both indoor and outdoor air pollution seriously. The solutions we have laid out today are both child first and community focused, with the aim of protecting us all, especially our children, from the dangers of dirty air.’
Their recommendations:
