Black smoke linked to Galway asthma

A study of acute childhood asthma in Galway city over a 20-year period found a strong association between black smoke levels and rates of paediatric admission to hospital with the chronic condition.

The study, published in the July-August volume of the Irish Medical Journal, examined the relationship of both air pollution and climatic variables — including rainfall, humidity, sunshine, and wind — to paediatric asthma admissions from 1985-2005.

While the study found “no statistically significant climatological effect” on the monthly hospital admission rates for asthma, it did find “evidence of a positive association between asthma admissions and black smoke levels for 1- to 4-year-olds” and a “positive trend” for 5- to 14-year-olds.