This article was originally published in the State of Our Children 360 newsletter, a publication from the Guilds Center for Community Health that shares some of the most pressing issues facing kids through the lens of those who are involved, impacted or providing care. Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner is Executive Director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State and a champion of health advocacy and policy in the Valley.
FRESNO, Calif. – We often hear that the San Joaquin Valley faces the worst air pollution in the nation, but most of us don’t know that children are among the most vulnerable communities to its health impacts. Why are children more at risk?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, children breathe approximately 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults, with the ratio being even higher for infants and toddlers. Added exposure leads to real health risks. Fortunately, many of these risks can be mitigated through education, prevention and treatment.
While policymakers, agencies and private industries are hard at work successfully cleaning up the air, there are things that every parent and community member can do to help our children breathe easier and safer.
First and foremost, we must understand how children’s lungs are at risk. While most of us might see the occasional dust devil, the pollution we can’t see is what is most harmful.
First, there is a type of pollution that is about thirty times smaller than the average human hair, known as particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5 for short). This pollutant has been known to impact on how children breathe, their heart health and immune systems. The more the child is exposed to high concentrations of PM 2.5, the more likely they are to have those negative health effects.
The other pollutant we can’t see is ground-level ozone, which is a chemical reaction of oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds in the air with heat and sunlight that cause harmful gas. This gas is immediately damaging to children’s lungs, especially those who are already at risk with asthma or other respiratory conditions. As a result of the ozone layer’s reaction to sunlight and heat, afternoon hours of the summer season can be the worst.
First and foremost, we must understand how children’s lungs are at risk. While most of us might see the occasional dust whirl, the pollution we can’t see is what is most harmful.
Cleaning up the air is an uphill task, and two environmental events are making it harder: extreme heat and wildfires. Extreme heat events mean higher than average temperatures, even for a place like the valley that gets hot summers. The heat lingers over a long period of time and does not provide much relief in the evening. This extreme heat and sunlight supercharge the formation of ground-level ozone. Large wildfires can create as much PM 2.5 pollution in a day than a year’s worth of car pollution. Smoke can also travel long distances and come down on communities that are many miles away from where those fires are burning. Unfortunately, due to changing climate conditions, we expect to see more extreme heat and wildfire events in the future.
Okay, all bad news. Let’s take a deep breath together. Now, how do we roll up our sleeves and help our children not only survive, but thrive in our communities? First, knowledge is power. Using phone tools like Valley Air District or EPA air quality applications can help us know PM 2.5 and Ozone levels in real-time. When you see an advisory that “sensitive groups” might be at risk, know that is referring to kids too.
Schools and sports teams can adopt air quality policies, such as indoor recess or moving activities to a later date. That pollution affects all kids, not just those with asthma or breathing problems. Coughing, wheezing and chest pain can mean a child should be evaluated by their pediatrician. Adopting clean air filtration, cooling centers and masks can provide immediate relief from extreme heat and wildfire related pollution.
Long-term strategies like more trees in neighborhoods, clean energy vehicles and car idling prevention programs at schools can provide big payoffs for our air. Continued policy changes and cleaner practices by industry like the use of clean trucks and tractors play a significant role in reducing air pollution for all. Community-level changes can help small lungs in a big way.
For more insight from the experts surrounding the impact of asthma on children’s health, check out the January 2026 State of Our Children 360 newsletter.
Sources and Resources
Prunicki, M., Cauwenberghs, N., Lee, J., Zhou, X., Zhang, H., Zhu, A., Haddad, F., Rosenberg-Hasson, Y., Maecker, H., Wu, J., Snyder, M., & Nadeau, K. (2021). Air pollution exposure is linked with methylation of immunoregulatory genes, altered immune cell profiles, and increased blood pressure in children. Scientific Reports, 11, Article 4067. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83577-3
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2011). Exposure factors handbook: 2011 edition (Chapter 6—Inhalation rates). National Center for Environmental Assessment. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-09/documents/efh-chapter06.pdf
