Minimizing Children’s Non-residential Exposure to Traffic-related Pollution

A significant portion of children’s exposure to traffic-related pollution occurs in and around schools and daycares and in transit to these locations. New schools and daycare facilities should be located at least 150 m from major roads (15,000 or more vehicles/day) and should incorporate appropriate ventilation systems to reduce infiltration of outdoor pollutants. Interventions for existing schools and daycare facilities near major roads (such as banning of idling vehicles or adding filters to ventilation systems) can reduce children’s traffic-related pollution exposures. New vehicle technologies and pollution control retrofits for older vehicles can reduce bus self-pollution, but traffic-related pollution from other vehicles is still an important source of bus passenger exposure. Whether travelling by bus or active transportation, traffic-related pollution exposures during school commutes can be reduced by choosing routes that avoid pollution hotspots. More research is needed to fully examine the costs and benefits of interventions used to reduce children’s exposure to traffic-related pollution.