40% of Delhi schoolkids fail lung capacity test: Study

The Times of India , Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Correspondent : TNN
NEW DELHI: More than a third of schoolchildren in four big cities of India suffer from reduced lung capacity, with Delhi showing the worst results, claims a new study whose results could be pointing to how air pollution is impacting the health of kids in urban India.

In the survey, 2,373 kids in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata underwent a lung health screening test (LHST). Of the 735 students who took the test in Delhi, 21% were found to have 'poor' lung capacity while another 19% had 'bad' capacity.

This means four out of every 10 children screened in the capital failed the test. Delhi has the worst air quality among 1,600 cities around the world, according to the World Health Organization.

The students were asked to inhale and then exhale forcefully into a testing device to check their lung capacity. Dr Preetaish Kaul, representative of Heal Foundation which conducted the survey, said they were shocked to find so many children not being able to exhale properly.

Children in the three other cities surveyed were only marginally better off.

"The survey was observational and we did not look into the cause of poor lung health in children. However, given the fact that most children were otherwise healthy, it will not be wrong completely to infer that poor air quality has a role to play in causing the reduced lung capacity," said Dr Preetaish Kaul, representative of Heal Foundation.

In Bengaluru, 36% (14% 'poor' and 22% 'bad') were found to have reduced lung capacity, followed by 35% in Kolkata (9% 'poor' and 26% 'bad') and 27% in Mumbai (13% 'poor' and 14% 'bad').

LHST determines how much air the lungs can hold, how quickly one can move air in and out of the lungs, and how well the lungs take oxygen in and remove carbon dioxide out from the body. "The test can detect lung diseases and measure the severity of lung problems. Poor results in LHST mean compromised lung function and high possibilities of contracting pulmonary diseases," said a doctor.

Dr Raj Kumar, who heads the respiratory allergy and applied immunology department at Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, said more scientific studies were needed to determine the impact of air pollution on children.

"Although I did not participate in the study, there can be no denying that air pollution is affecting us badly. Children are worst impacted as they are yet in their growth years with vital organs of the body physiologically not mature enough to deal with it," he said.

Another survey conducted by Heal foundation suggested that a majority of people think it is the whole and sole responsibility of the government to clean the air.

The survey indicated that only 15%, 24%, 27% and 9% people in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, respectively, thought they as individuals were also responsible for the poor quality of air in their city.

Said environmental activist Kamal Meattle, "Reckless cutting of trees, rapid urbanization and above all, a dearth of environment-friendly laws, is the cause of many illnesses. Poor lung health is one of them. It's high time we take up the issue on priority and figure out ways to control pollution."

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/40-of-Delhi-schoolkids-fail-lung-capacity-test-Study/articleshow/47156480.cms
 


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