New HELTH Study

New HELTH Study: Children in kindergarten and primary schools in Rwanda inhale exhaust fumes from their parents’ vehicles, with the concentration tripling during drop-off and pick-up times.

With their tender lungs and faster breathing rates, children are among the most susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution. The proximity of their breathing space to tailpipe vehicle emissions places them at increased risk. In a study conducted by the Ministry of Health in 2012, it was found that roughly 22% of children under the age of five succumbed to respiratory diseases, underlining the gravity of the issue.

A team of researchers led by Egide Kalisa, Vincent Kuuire and Matthew Adams researched air pollution and children’s exposure at school in Rwanda. This study showed that  In Kigali, young students attending kindergartens and primary schools face a heightened threat from air pollution, primarily from their parents’ cars and the older buses that transport them.

Dr. Egide Kalisa, a researcher affiliated with the University of Rwanda and the University of Toronto in Canada, conducted a comprehensive study into this issue.

Dr. Kalisa’s year-long research in Kigali schools exposes the peril children face during their daily commutes to and from school. Startlingly, he notes that stationary cars emit more harmful fumes than those in motion.

On mornings and evenings, numerous cars idle in front of schools, discharging toxic fumes that seep into the educational institutions, jeopardizing the air children breathe.

Furthermore, many schools in Kigali are located near highways, intensifying the levels of air pollution children are subjected to.

Dr. Kalisa, Assistant Professor at the University of Western Ontario, and colleagues from the University of Toronto indicated that children in kindergarten and primary schools inhale exhaust fumes from their parents’ vehicles, with the concentration tripling during drop-off and pick-up times.

The escalation of air pollution affecting children can be attributed to the inadequate ventilation systems in many schools, which permit polluted air to infiltrate learning environments. This grim scenario adversely impacts children’s health, rendering them more susceptible to respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and asthma and diminishing their academic performance.

Dr. Kalisa underscores the necessity of implementing sustainable measures to curb air pollution, especially in school settings.

These measures include relocating parked cars away from school premises, encouraging parents to switch off their engines during drop-off and pick-up times, planting more trees near schools and roads, sensitizing children and parents about the perils of air pollution, advocating for cleaner school buses, and promoting walking or high-quality bus transport for school commutes.

Furthermore, Dr. Kalisa recommends constructing schools in areas isolated from public roads and industrial zones to minimize exposure to contaminated air. Installing school air filtration systems to purify the indoor environment is another vital step.

He also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive awareness campaigns targeting parents, children, and school administrators to mitigate the effects of air pollution in and around schools.

Dr. Kalisa suggests the government establish dedicated bus routes for transporting children to school, thus reducing their exposure to emissions during their commute.

In pursuit of a solution, Dr. Kalisa has initiated a collaborative campaign with students from Kigali schools to encourage parents to switch off their cars while parked at school and to educate them about the dangers and effects of air pollution.

The endeavour seeks to safeguard the well-being of our most precious assets – our children.

Citation: Kalisa, E., Kuuire, V., & Adams, M. (2023). Children’s exposure to indoor and outdoor black carbon and particulate matter air pollution at school in Rwanda, Central-East Africa. Environmental Advances, 11, 100334. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666765722001697