Pollution-related asthma cost spiralling

The cost of asthma that is being caused by pollution is far higher than past records, according to researchers in the US, who estimated that the cost of asthma caused by traffic-related pollution in certain areas could be over $18 million per year.

The study was conducted in Long Beach and Riverside in California, America, which are both areas with high regional air pollution levels and which have large roads near residential neighbourhoods. Researchers used new techniques that allowed them to count new asthma cases attributable to air pollution.

University of Massachusetts resource economist Sylvia Brandt commented: "Families with children who have asthma are bearing a high cost. The total annual estimate between $3,800 and $4,000 represents seven per cent of median household income in our study in these two communities.”

There are around 34.1 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma by a health professional during their lifetime, according to the American Lung Association Epidemiology & Statistics Unit.

This figure is likely to rise substantially, particularly given its relation to high pollution levels. The World Health Organization project that the number of people with asthma will grow by more than 100 million by 2025.

Posted by Lauren Steadman