Effect of Indoor Air Pollution on Child Development: A Research Review

The air quality of our indoor environments majorly affects our health. Children are the most exposed to indoor air pollutants as they spend most of their time at home and indoors, the quality of air becomes a major concern in their course of development. While in rural areas the major indoor pollutants are the emissions from combustion sources, in urban areas the particulates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have chronic and long-term effects. The aim of this study is to review the available literature dealing with various effects of child development. The study showed the relationship between prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs and Child IQ. Children were monitored from in utero to 5 years of age, with determination of prenatal PAH exposure through personal air monitoring for the mothers during pregnancy. It was found that high PAHs level were inversely associated with IQ. The other study comprehended lung development with exposure to nitrogen dioxide, acid aerosols, particulate matter and elemental carbon. Lung function tests were performed annually for 8 years among the children and a decrease in Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV) was observed. The results of the study indicated that current ambient levels of air pollution have chronic and adverse effects on lung development in children leading to significant deficits in FEV as these children reach adulthood. In rural India, the risks associated with indoor air pollution are found to be extremely high. The study revealed that most of the rural households were exposed to acute upper and lower infections, the reason being the use of traditional fuels and poorly ventilated cooking areas. The study focuses on creating awareness towards the adverse effects of indoor air pollution specifically on children health, with reference to the existing studies