--- title: "ULEZ linked to faster lung growth in London children, study finds" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/health/ulez-linked-to-faster-lung-growth-in-london-children-study-finds" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ulez-linked-to-faster-lung-growth-in-london-children-study-finds" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/health/ulez-linked-to-faster-lung-growth-in-london-children-study-finds.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ulez-linked-to-faster-lung-growth-in-london-children-study-finds" category: "Health" area: "United Kingdom" published: "2026-08-19T03:45:55.549Z" source_reported: "2026-08-19T02:58:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-19T03:45:55.549Z" trust_score: 85 critic_score: 90 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-19T04:45:45.735310+00:00" --- # ULEZ linked to faster lung growth in London children, study finds *Researchers say air quality improvements after 2019 are strongly associated with accelerated lung development in children aged 6-9* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 85 of 100, higher is better. Five outlets corroborate the study and its findings. - Craft 90 of 100, higher is better. All reports quote affected parties and experts. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are measured and proportional. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - A study of 3,400 children aged 6-9 found lung growth in London accelerated after the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was introduced in 2019. - London children’s exposure to nitrogen dioxide fell twice as fast and more than twice as much as in Luton, which has no clean air zone. - Children in London saw their forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) increase by 10ml per year more than children in Luton over the same period. - The proportion of children with clinically impaired lung function fell from 14% to 9% in London, compared with a drop from 9% to 7% in Luton. A study led by Queen Mary University of London found that lung growth in children improved after London introduced its Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in 2019. The research, published in *The Lancet Public Health*, tracked more than 3,400 children aged 6-9 in London and Luton from 2018 to 2022. Luton, which has similar traffic pollutants but no clean air zone, served as a comparison site. Before ULEZ was introduced, children in London had significantly smaller lungs than those in Luton. After five years, lung function in London children had caught up to that of their Luton peers. The study measured forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), a key indicator of lung health. London children’s FEV1 increased by 10ml per year more than children in Luton, a change the researchers linked to reductions in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure. Exposure to NO2 in London fell twice as fast and more than twice as much as in Luton over the same period. The proportion of children with clinically impaired lung function dropped from 14% to 9% in London, compared with a fall from 9% to 7% in Luton. The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and involved researchers from Imperial College London, the Universities of Bedfordshire, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Southern California. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the reports mentioned the cost of implementing or enforcing ULEZ, or the economic impact on drivers or businesses. The study’s authors did not release an estimate of the scheme’s financial benefits or savings from improved health outcomes. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 40% (3) - Centre: 60% (4) - Right: 0% (0) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-19T04:45:45.735310+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-19T05:45:10.793Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The two left-rated reports led on the personal impact of the findings. *Metro News* ran the headline “Mum's 'massive relief' after major study links Ulez to healthier kids' lungs” and quoted Jemima Hartshorn, founder of the campaign group Mums for Lungs. Hartshorn said the results were “super exciting” and showed that “damage inflicted by air pollution can be compensated by cleaner air.” The report also quoted London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who called the findings “compelling evidence” that ULEZ was “a huge success.” - *Metro News* included criticism of ULEZ, noting that the scheme had faced “huge backlash from some drivers” who argued it negatively impacted low-income households and small businesses. The report quoted Khan’s response: he had “refused to stand by” despite opposition from “a vocal minority backed by vested interests.” - *The Independent*’s digest mentioned the mother of Ella Kissi-Debrah, a child whose death was linked to air pollution, and reported that she had called for more clean air zones like ULEZ across the UK. The digest did not include further detail on her comments. ### Centre - The four centre-rated reports led on the study’s findings and the scale of the research. *News Medical* published the full study details, including the 10ml per year increase in FEV1 and the drop in NO2 exposure. It quoted Professor Chris Griffiths, who said the findings provided “the strongest evidence yet on how these harms can be prevented” and called for “ambitious clean air zones” to be considered a priority globally. - *News Medical* also quoted Dr Helen Wood, the lead author, who said the results were “a really important finding for children and parents living in London” but warned that air pollution in both cities remained above World Health Organization guideline levels. The report included the full list of collaborating institutions and the funding source. - The digests from *Bloomberg*, *Evening Standard* and *Sky News UK* all carried the core findings: that lung growth in London children improved after ULEZ was introduced. *Sky News UK*’s digest noted that Sadiq Khan had said the study proved he was “right to push forward with the scheme and its controversial extension.” None of the centre-rated digests mentioned criticism of ULEZ or the personal stories carried by the left-rated reports. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 5 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [News Medical](https://news-medical.net/news/20260818/Londons-Ultra-Low-Emission-Zone-delivers-measurable-lung-health-benefits-for-children.aspx) — London's Ultra Low Emission Zone delivers measurable lung health benefits for children - [Bloomberg](https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-18/london-crackdown-on-emissions-coincides-with-better-child-health) — London Crackdown on Emissions Coincides With Better Child Health - [Science Media Centre](https://sciencemediacentre.org/ulez-and-lung-function-in-children-in-london) — ULEZ and lung function in children in London - [Evening Standard](https://standard.co.uk/news/london/ulez-linked-to-improved-lung-growth-in-children-major-study-finds-b1293871.html) — Ulez linked to improved lung growth in children, major study finds - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/health/ulez-london-children-lung-health-clean-air-ella-kissi-debrah-b3034371.html) — UK needs more clean air zones like Ulez, says mother of girl killed by air pollution - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/health/ulez-london-children-lung-health-clean-air-ella-kissi-debrah-b3034371.html) — UK needs more clean air zones like Ulez, says mother of girl killed by air pollution - [Metro News](https://metro.co.uk/2026/08/18/mums-massive-relief-major-study-links-ulez-healthier-kids-lungs-29407388) — Mum's 'massive relief' after major study links Ulez to healthier kids' lungs - [Sky News UK](https://news.sky.com/story/londons-ulez-linked-to-improved-lung-growth-in-children-says-study-13574518) — London's ULEZ linked to improved lung growth in children, says study ## Questions **What did the study find about children’s lung growth in London?** The study found that children in London saw their lung function improve after the Ultra Low Emission Zone was introduced in 2019. Their forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) increased by 10ml per year more than children in Luton, where there is no clean air zone. This change was linked to reductions in nitrogen dioxide exposure. **How much did nitrogen dioxide exposure fall in London compared to Luton?** Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in London fell twice as fast and more than twice as much as in Luton over the same period. The study attributed this reduction to the introduction of ULEZ in 2019, which restricts high-polluting vehicles in the city. **Which outlets reported on the study, and what did they focus on?** Left-rated outlets like *Metro News* and *The Independent* focused on personal stories and political reactions, quoting campaigners and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Centre-rated outlets, including *News Medical* and *Bloomberg*, led on the study’s findings and the scale of the research. No right-rated outlet covered the story. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. 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