Higham Jonathan E, Sinha Ian, Lee Alice, Robinson David Taylor, Olajide Olu, Saleh Sepeedeh
Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
Environ Monit Assess. 2025 Sep 20;197(10):1128. doi: 10.1007/s10661-025-14594-2.
Liverpool, a city with an industrial legacy and among the most socioeconomically deprived local authorities in the UK, faces a significant health challenge: the combined impact of air pollution and deprivation on children's respiratory health. This study deploys a dense network of 52 air quality sensors, one of the most comprehensive in the UK, to monitor particulate matter in 2023. PM2.5 levels ranged from 4.78 to 18.15 µg/m (median 7.15 µg/m), and PM10 from 11.21 to 43.14 µg/m (median 17.30 µg/m), frequently exceeding WHO thresholds. High concentrations were found in northern wards with high deprivation. Hospital admission rates for under-18 s ranged from 0.2 to 2%, exceeding national averages. Linear regression showed Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores explained 16.1% of the variance in hospital admissions (R = 0.1608, β = 0.023 to 0.025, p < 0.02), more than PM2.5 (6.6%) or PM10 (4.7%). Interaction terms suggested amplified pollution effects in deprived areas. Liverpool offers a valuable case study for understanding the intersection of environmental and social determinants of health as seen in many urban UK settings. Socioeconomic deprivation emerged as both a mediator, through factors like healthcare access, and a confounder in the pollution-health relationship. These findings underscore the need for targeted emission reductions and investment in disadvantaged communities. Future research with extended data could confirm these patterns and support broader policy action.
利物浦是一个有着工业遗产的城市，也是英国社会经济最贫困的地方当局之一，面临着重大的健康挑战：空气污染和贫困对儿童呼吸健康的综合影响。本研究在2023年部署了由52个空气质量传感器组成的密集网络，这是英国最全面的网络之一，用于监测颗粒物。细颗粒物（PM2.5）水平在4.78至18.15微克/立方米之间（中位数为7.15微克/立方米），可吸入颗粒物（PM10）在11.21至43.14微克/立方米之间（中位数为17.30微克/立方米），经常超过世界卫生组织的阈值。在贫困程度高的北部病房发现了高浓度。18岁以下儿童的住院率在0.2%至2%之间，超过全国平均水平。线性回归显示，多重剥夺指数（IMD）得分解释了住院率差异的16.1%（R = 0.1608，β = 0.023至0.025，p < 0.02），超过了PM2.5（6.6%）或PM10（4.7%）。交互项表明贫困地区的污染影响有所放大。利物浦为理解英国许多城市环境与健康社会决定因素的交叉点提供了一个有价值的案例研究。社会经济剥夺既是一个中介因素，通过医疗保健可及性等因素起作用，也是污染与健康关系中的一个混杂因素。这些发现强调了有针对性地减少排放和对弱势社区进行投资的必要性。未来使用扩展数据的研究可以证实这些模式，并支持更广泛的政策行动。
