In an April 2019 study in The Lancet Planetary Health researchers “estimated the annual global number of new pediatric asthma cases” caused by exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). In order to do this, they utilized nitrogen dioxide as a proxy for TRAP. In order to conduct the study, researchers obtained country and age specific asthma incidence rates for 194 countries, as well as 2015 populations counts. They also utilized annual average surface nitrogen dioxide concentrations. Through the study, researchers estimated 4 million new pediatric asthma cases could be attributable to nitrogen dioxide pollution annually.
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