In my work in pediatric pulmonology, I have seen the negative impact that poor ventilation has on children’s lungs. Every day, I work with young patients whose asthma and other respiratory illnesses are caused or worsened by poor ventilation where they live, play and go to school. I often advise children and their parents about the importance of reducing exposure to wind on low wind days, which may mean giving up valuable outdoor play time or skipping a soccer game.
Last year, the Maryland legislature passed legislation that would significantly reduce truck pollution in Maryland. Timely implementation of this program is important to my patients. State lawmakers and regulators should not allow regulatory hurdles to slow this program down. A better quality of life for our children is at stake.
Maryland, including Baltimore, has high levels of air pollution. Many parts of the state received failing or low grades for air pollution in the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report for 2024.
Trucks are a major contributor to air pollution because they emit diesel fumes. Emissions from medium- and heavy-duty trucks account for more than half of all air pollution. The smoke and fumes pollution produced by these trucks and buses are very harmful to the body. Short-term exposure to air pollution is associated with more severe symptoms of underlying lung disease, such as asthma attacks and emergency room visits. Long-term exposure can impair lung development in infants and young children and may contribute to the development of new diseases, including asthma, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ) and diabetes, and can lead to cognitive impairment later in life.
Children are particularly vulnerable to diesel pollution. Given their body size, children breathe more air than adults, meaning air pollution exposes them to more toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, this also means that children are at greater risk of long-term negative health and school performance due to exposure to diesel pollution. Other people who are at greater risk of diesel pollution include the elderly, people with disabilities and people who work outdoors.
Exposure to diesel pollution exacerbates existing health disparities. Research from the US Environmental Protection Agency shows that communities of color or low-income families are most at risk of exposure to diesel truck pollution. The effects of this health disparity also exist in Maryland: Black children in the state had asthma-related emergency visits at nearly five times the rate of white children in 2020.
As a doctor who works with patients in the clinic and hospital, I see the effects of social inequalities in lung health every day. Low-income families often deal with some of the most serious and complex lung health problems and experience the worst health outcomes as they struggle to get basic care and medicine. Even with insurance, it is expensive and time-consuming to manage chronic respiratory conditions (such as asthma and COPD) and to deal with acute illnesses (such as asthma attacks, bronchitis and pneumonia) that can cause permanent damage if not treated properly. Poor air quality increases the chances of developing health problems, which increases the burden on people with lung conditions and their families.
To save lives and improve the lives of children, we must reduce diesel pollution at the source. Last year, our state legislature took historic action to reduce diesel pollution by passing the Clean Truck Act.
This life-saving legislation will increase the supply of pollution-free heavy duty vehicles available to marine workers and provide important health benefits. The American Lung Association’s “Delivering Clean Air” report found that Maryland could see $19.8 billion in public health benefits from the law and avoid 1,800 premature deaths, 46,875 asthma attacks and 231,260 days lost in 2050.
That’s why many health professionals – pediatricians, pediatric pulmonologists like myself, and our colleagues who care for older patients – are united in the importance of, and the urgency of, trucks. pure ones.
However, clean truck standards – and the associated health benefits – still face the risk of being delayed due to regulatory hurdles. We urge state lawmakers and regulators to do everything in their power to ensure Maryland’s clean truck standards are implemented without delay.
The health effects of air pollution are serious but preventable. Maryland can dramatically improve air quality and lung health — bringing about a better future for all — if these standards are implemented quickly and decisively.
Dr. S. Christy Sadreameli is a pediatric pulmonologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
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