Air pollution can damage children’s eyesight

By Stephen Beech

Air pollution is harming children’s eyesight , warns a new study.

Exposure to lower levels of air pollutants is linked to how well children can see without glasses, say scientists.

Their findings show that pollution in the air may be harming youngsters’ eyesight with cleaner air helping to protect and even improve their vision.

The research team discovered that exposure to lower levels of air pollutants – specifically nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) – is associated with how well children can see without glasses.

The study, published in the journal PNAS Nexus , suggests that reducing exposure to those pollutants could help slow the progression of short-sightedness, also called myopia, when distant objects appear blurry.

The condition i