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Prenatal and early life exposure to air pollution and lung function development aged 8-24 years: The ALSPAC study

Katie Eminson1, Yingxin Chen2, Raquel Granell3

  • 1Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Leicester General Hospital, Leicester, United Kingdom.

Environmental Research
|March 18, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal and early-life exposure to air pollution, including PM10 and NO2, was linked to reduced lung function growth in children up to age 24. These effects were most pronounced during adolescence.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Limited evidence exists on air pollution's impact on childhood lung function growth.
  • Previous studies show associations between early air pollution and lung function, but not long-term growth trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the association between air pollution exposure during pregnancy and early life and lung function growth from ages 8 to 24.
  • Investigate the impact of specific air pollutants (PM10 and NO2) on lung function development.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of approximately 5200 children from the ALSPAC UK birth cohort.
  • Used mixed-effects linear models to analyze lung function data (FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75, FEV1/FVC) at ages 8, 15, and 24 years.
  • Adjusted for various covariates including socioeconomic status, smoking, and BMI.

Main Results:

  • Elevated exposure to PM10 (road and other) and NO2 during pregnancy and early life was associated with small reductions in annual lung function growth z-scores.
  • The impact on lung function growth was more substantial between ages 8 and 15 years compared to growth up to 24 years.
  • A 1-unit increase in road PM10 exposure was linked to a -0.0122 decrease in FEV1 z-score growth annually.

Conclusions:

  • Higher exposure to PM10 and NO2 during critical developmental periods may negatively affect lung function development.
  • The greatest impact on lung function growth appears during adolescence, a period of rapid lung development.
  • Findings extend previous research by tracking lung function growth to age 24 and including mid-expiratory flow measures.
Abstract

Keywords:
ALSPACAir pollutionChildrenLung functionRespiratory health

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