Polluting Our Children

-Reuters: Mar 11 1999

Children's suffering from respiratory illnesses is the greatest in world's most polluted city - Mexico City. Students are banned from playing outside on the most polluted days. Common in Mexico City were sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and total suspended particulates (TSPs), small particals of dust and heavy metals which cause damage to lung tissue.

Beijing, Shanghai, Tehran and Calcutta are not far behind. Respiratory disease is now the leading cause of death for children worldwide. 80 % of all air pollution caused lung infection deaths occur in children under five in Third World countries. Coal-fired power plants and leaded gas are the top culprits.