Children Exposed To Majority Of Daily Air Pollution On School Run!

Those in au pair jobs and parents alike might want to try and find ways to prevent their young charges from breathing in too much polluted air as they make their way to school, as new research has revealed that this is when they breathe in the majority of their daily air pollution.

Carried out by Unicef UK and Queen Mary University of London, the study found that children in the UK are in fact exposed to over 60 per cent of their daily air pollution while on the way to school.

The charity is now warning that not enough is being done to protect our most vulnerable members of society from the harmful effects of toxic air, with one in three kids now growing up in areas with unsafe levels of air pollution.

The government is now being called on to take action by funding and pushing through policies and health interventions that protect children from toxic air around nurseries and schools.

Commenting on the results, director of advocacy with Unicef UK Amy Gibbs said: ““Every day, thousands of children across the UK are setting off on a toxic school run that could impact their lifespan and contribute to serious long-term health problems.

“Parents already have numerous worries about health and safety risks to our children. The quality of air they breathe in the playground or as they walk to school should not be yet another burden.”

You can find out more about the toxic air levels in your local area on the UK Air website, as well as health advice on what to do if levels are high.