Over 100 children under 5 in Croydon hospitalized from toxic air

Official figures show Croydon’s air quality is so poor that 106 children aged five and under had to be admitted to University Hospital Croydon with breathing difficulties in 2023.

Toxic air: parts of Croydon have pollution levels three times higher than international standards

The details were obtained through a Freedom of Information request to Croydon Health Services NHS Trust.

Similar FoIs in 21 other London hospitals showed that more than 15,000 children were admitted in 2023 with severe breathing difficulties.

The figures were obtained by air pollution campaigners Mums for Lungs, who have called for all diesel vehicles to be phased out by 2030.

Across England, 15,328 children aged 19 or under were admitted to hospital for serious asthma attacks in 2022-2023, according to Public Health England. For London, the figure is 2,705.

Air quality in Croydon is notoriously poor, with high levels of pollution near some of the busiest roads and junctions, all breaching World Health Organization standards.

Croydon mum Karina Fernandez said: “For too long the air in London and beyond has been so polluted it is making children sick. My son and I have asthma and it’s awful. No parent should have to sit in A&E anxiously watching their child’s breathing. We need less cars and less wood now.”

Air pollution monitors in Croydon continue to show high levels of some of the most dangerous forms of pollution – including nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM 2.5) – although research by Inside Croydon suggests that Croydon Council is failing to uphold its duties in operating air quality monitors. Such a monitor has not worked since 2020.

Better demand: pupils at Oasis Ryland in Croydon who took part in a Mums for Lungs protest

Exposure to PM 2.5 can have serious health effects, especially in vulnerable groups of people such as the young and the elderly. Because of the small size of many particles, some of these toxins can enter the bloodstream and be carried around the body, lodging in the heart, brain and other organs.

Short-term exposure to high concentrations of NO2 can cause airway inflammation and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections and allergens. NO2 can exacerbate the symptoms of those who already suffer from lung or heart conditions.

The air quality monitor at Croydon in Norbury measures NO2 at 28μg/m3, three times above WHO guidelines.

Dr Anna Moore, a respiratory doctor working in an NHS hospital in London, said: “These figures show that there are hundreds of children in hospital with preventable conditions. At a time when NHS resources are stretched, we urgently need to clean up our air, including getting rid of the most polluting diesel cars, lorries and vans altogether, and focusing on infrastructure that enables safe walking and cycling, as this thing is vital for a long time. health at term.”

Pro-pollution: Croydon’s Tory Mayor Jason Perry

In Croydon, pro-pollution borough mayor Jason Perry has won political points by destroying cycling infrastructure, making it more dangerous for people to cycle. This came after he spent the better part of a year acting as a Facebook page administrator and ‘expert’ for a group opposing the expansion of ULEZ – London’s ultra-low emission zone.

And the council, along with Merton, Kingston and Sutton, continues to spend tens of millions of pounds a year to fund the operation of the Viridor waste incinerator in Beddington, which continues to regularly operate in breach of its licence, with incidents including cloud pumping. of acid pollution in the skies over south London.

Road transport is the biggest contributor to air pollution in London. Figures suggest that air pollution contributes to around 4,000 early deaths each year in London.

Mums for Lungs has written to Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer asking them to discourage people from buying diesel vehicles and to set a target for England to be diesel-free by 2030, with limited exemptions, alongside actions on wood burning and the creation of more school streets, which restrict the use of cars for drop-off and pick-up.

Jemima Hartshorn, from Mums for Lungs, said: “Thousands of children can’t breathe because of preventable air pollution. This must change.

“So many children are admitted to hospital with severe cases of asthma and all the evidence shows that damage to the lungs at a young age can cause lifelong health conditions.

“The next national government, mayors and local authorities must use all their powers to phase out diesel vehicles and protect children from painful and debilitating health conditions.”

Read more: Perry’s ULEZ Facebook page is part of racism’s “scumbag ex.”
Read more: The incinerator exceeds 7 times the level for acid hydrochloric acid
Read more: Licensed to Print Money: The Last Five Incinerator Violations

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