Study into the effects of air pollution on primary children in London and Luton

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced he is supporting a new study into the health benefits of reducing air pollution on more than 3,000 primary school children in polluted areas of London and Luton.

The study will test how policies like the Ultra-Low Emission Zone can improve the growth of children’s lungs and reduce chest symptoms, comparing London children whose schools are placed within the ULEZ zone with children in Luton whose schools are in traffic-restricted zones.

All the children will have their lung health monitored over a four-year period in the study led by Queen Mary University of London. Researchers from the CHILL study (Children’s Health in London & Luton), funded by the National Institute for Health Research, are currently recruiting schools to take part in this new initiative.

This announcement comes as Khan confirms plans to expand London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to the North and South Circular boundary in 2021.