Environmental Research Group
Research Projects » EXHALE
The London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) was introduced in February 2008 with the aim of improving London's
air quality by deterring the most polluting vehicles from driving within the Greater London area.
To see who is involved in this project go to the
People & Partners page.
Download the
Spring 2012 Low Emission Zone Schools Study Newsletter
[PDF 16mb]
Funded by the
National Institute for Health Research's
Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
, this project will investigate the impact of the LEZ on children's respiratory health.
Specifically, we will assess whether the reduction in exposure to traffic emissions resulting from the LEZ
will be associated with improvements in lung function. The study focuses on children in East London,
as the LEZ is predicted to have a significant impact on air quality in this area.
The study involves conducting health assessments in 8 to 9 year-old children at selected schools in
Tower Hamlets and Hackney. The assessments include measurements of respiratory health, biomarkers of
exposure to traffic-related air pollution, genetic susceptibility to the effects of air pollution, and
systemic response to air pollution.
The health data is then linked to modelled air quality data,
provided by ERG's modelling team, to provide a comprehensive picture of the affect of traffic-related
air pollution on children’s health, and the impact of the LEZ on this. The study will last for 4 years,
with health assessments conducted each winter. As of June 2011,
we have completed 3 years of data collection, and over 1000 children from 23 schools have participated.
As part of the study, we provide a morning of education for the Year 4 class at each school we visit,
teaching them about the science and history of air pollution. This year, we have also been working
with a professional artist, Effie Coe, as part of the
Invisible Dust project.
Effie has designed art
activities specifically to help the children understand and visualise the scientific concepts they are learning.
The video below was made at one of our most recent school visits and shows the health assessments,
as well as some of the teaching activities in the classroom.
The study is a collaborative project between members of the Environmental Research Group at King's College London,
and the Centre for Health Sciences at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
London Low Emission Zone Study
Back to the top