Roadside trees trap asthma-inducing pollutants

PORTLAND, OREGON—More trees mean cleaner air, right? Not necessarily, suggests a new study looking at the wooded areas next to roadways. Instead, lines of trees known as “greenbelts” might actually trap a common pollutant from vehicle exhaust—nitrogen dioxide (NO2)—boosting on-the-ground levels of the gas up to 21%. That could make breathing hard for bikers and pedestrians with asthma or other respiratory diseases.....

Read more here: sciencemag.org

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North York man suffered brain damage after asthma attack

When he was an infant, Patrick Hall had a chronic cough. It never went away, and when he was 3, his parents took him to the doctor to get to the bottom of it.
The doctor did all variety of allergy tests, and it turned out, as his mother, Lisa Shaffer, said, "he was allergic to almost everything." He had asthma – very serious asthma. As a kid, he couldn't play sports, and whenever the family went on vacation, they had to be sure to check for the closest hospital in case he had a serious attack.....

Read more here: ydr.com

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Teachers say scheme to give asthma inhalers to schools 'a secret'

Teachers have described as “a well-kept secret” a scheme that allows schools to obtain asthma inhalers for emergencies, writes Evelyn Ring.
No school has received an emergency asthma inhaler for first-aid kits, under a scheme established two years ago by then health minister, Leo Varadkar.
Chief executive of the Asthma Society of Ireland, Averil Power, said the failure of the scheme, combined with some teachers’ reluctance to administer asthma medication, was putting children’s lives at risk.....

Read more here: irishexaminer.com