Polish children are significantly more exposed to air pollution than French children, research by the University of Hasselt in Belgium has found.
Polish children are significantly more exposed to air pollution than French children, research by the University of Hasselt in Belgium has found.
The study, conducted over 28 children in Rybnik, Poland, showed they were between three and nine times more exposed to air pollution than children in Strasbourg, France.
Klaudyna Szewczyk lives in Rybnik, where a coal-fired power station sits on the outskirts of the city. She suffered a stroke three years ago that she’s since realised was caused by the air pollution.
She is now a local campaigner and the mother of two children involved in the study. She said she was expecting bad results, but not as bad as they received.
Her family have decided to move.
“When we got the results, my husband told me we have to look for another place to live – now,” she said. “So we are looking to move out from Rybnik to prevent any health [issues] in our children and ourselves.”
Tests on children in Rybnik and Strasbourg found the Polish children had an average of 425% more black carbon, a carcinogenic substance linked to the burning of fossil fuels, in their urine.
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Unless scrubbers are added to the power stations this problem will continue at least until 2049 when Poland will finally shut its coal mines assuming they don’t start importing the stuff.