A growing amount of people in America, more than 23 million to be exact, are suffering from asthma. Asthma is characterized by a difficulty in breathing and a feeling of constriction in the chest resulting from an inflammation of the airways. Both family history and environmental triggers contribute to the increasing chances of getting asthma. “The rapid increase in asthma cases from the late 1970s cannot be attributed to genetics alone,” says Dr. Peter Gergen, a medical officer at the National Institute of Health (NIH). Inner city pollution, an environmental trigger, is playing an increasingly bigger role in affecting those who suffer from asthma.

A study, supported by the NIH and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), shows a correlation between increasing levels of air pollution and the subsequent effects on inner city children. Over a two year period 861 children between the ages of 5 and 12 were studied in low-income areas in the following inner city communities: Boston, the Bronx, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Seattle, and Tucson. In addition to tracking daily pollution levels, the children were regularly monitored and underwent lung tests at six month intervals. The childrens’ parents were also asked for their observations.

The results of the study showed decreased lung capacity of children who were exposed to the following air pollutants: airborne fine particles, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. High levels of nitrogen dioxide was shown to increase asthma symptoms. The higher levels of nitrogen dioxide were also shown to be one of the primary causes of school absences among children and according to the American Institute of Allergy Asthma & Immunology “13 million school days are missed each year.” Since nitrogen dioxide is a component of car exhaust, the study showed a direct link between vehicle emissions and the adverse affects on asthma sufferers.