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Towards cleaner air: PM2.5 exposure and disparities around childcare providers in England
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Guangquan Li ,
Amal Rammah ,
Jian Zhong ,
Niloofar Shoari ,
Selin Akaraci,
Samantha Hajna ,
Caroline Hart,
Rosemary C. Chamberlain,
Christina Mitsakou,
Karen Exley ,
William Bloss ,
Rich Fry ,
Steven Cummins,
Pia Hardelid
Environmental Research, Volume: 288, Start page: 123172
Swansea University Author:
Rich Fry
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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.envres.2025.123172
Abstract
Air pollution poses a significant health risk for young children, particularly in urban and deprived areas. Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during early life may contribute to long-term adverse health outcomes. This study examined changes in PM2.5 concentrations around Early Years Provid...
| Published in: | Environmental Research |
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| ISSN: | 0013-9351 |
| Published: |
Elsevier BV
2026
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71036 |
| Abstract: |
Air pollution poses a significant health risk for young children, particularly in urban and deprived areas. Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during early life may contribute to long-term adverse health outcomes. This study examined changes in PM2.5 concentrations around Early Years Providers (EYPs; childcare providers) in England from 2018 to 2022. We assessed associations between small-area socio-demographic characteristics and exposure levels exceeding the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2021 annual air quality guideline (>5 μg/m3). We integrated data on EYPs locations from Ordnance Survey with annual PM2.5 estimates from DEFRA using Geographic Information Systems and socio-demographic indicators — deprivation, urbanicity, and ethnic composition. A Bayesian spatial regression model with random effects was used to estimate adjusted associations between PM2.5 levels and local population characteristics. The number of EYPs ranged from 15,780 in 2018 to 18,427 in 2019. Mean PM2.5 levels around EYPs changed by 17.8 % over the study period (from 9.4 μg/m3 [SD = 1.8] in 2018 to 7.8 μg/m3 [SD = 1.5] in 2022). However, PM2.5 levels at over 96 % of EYPs remained above the WHO, 2021 annual guideline throughout. Higher PM2.5 concentrations were observed in EYPs located in more deprived, urban, and predominantly non-white communities. Despite recent improvements, PM2.5 levels around most EYPs in England remain above recommended thresholds. Targeted interventions in deprived urban areas are needed to reduce young children's exposure and address environmental health inequalities. |
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| Keywords: |
Air pollution; Bayesian; Environmental justice; Geospatial; Nurseries; Paediatric |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
This work was supported by ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK) - an Economic and Social Research Council investment (part of UK Research and Innovation; ES/X000311/1], Health Data Research UK (HDRUK2023.0029) - an initiative funded by UK Research and Innovation, Department of Health and Social Care (England), the devolved administrations, and leading medical research charities, the Natural Environment Research Council WM-Air project (NE/S003487/1), and Wellcome Trust WM-Net Zero project (227150/Z/23/Z). Research at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health benefits from funding from the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre. |
| Start Page: |
123172 |