London emissions rules may improve children’s lung health

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Restrictions on highly polluting vehicles in London may be helping improve children’s lung health, according to a new study published in The Lancet Public Health. Researchers found that cleaner air following tighter emissions rules was associated with better respiratory outcomes among young people. The findings suggest that policies aimed at reducing traffic pollution could have meaningful health benefits for children, whose developing lungs are especially vulnerable to poor air quality.

Source

Wood H, Hajmohammadi H, Dove R et al. Impact of the Ultra Low Emission Zone on lung function growth in children in London, UK: a prospective parallel cohort study. The Lancet Public Health, 2026; 0

Additional Reading

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/19/health/london-ulez-lung-health-study-scli-intl

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/18/ulez-better-lung-size-function-london-children

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/19/childrens-lungs-grew-after-london-launched-ulez/