{"id":25063,"date":"2020-12-16T15:58:57","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T15:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pgmbmv2stg.wpengine.com\/inquest-labels-air-pollution-as-cause-of-death-for-first-time-ever\/"},"modified":"2023-05-12T11:34:58","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T11:34:58","slug":"inquest-labels-air-pollution-as-cause-of-death-for-first-time-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wdev.pogustgoodhead.com\/us\/inquest-labels-air-pollution-as-cause-of-death-for-first-time-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"Inquest Labels \u2018Air Pollution\u2019 As Cause Of Death For First Time Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a fresh inquest into the death of a nine-year-old girl\u00a0<\/span>concluded<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>died as a result of<\/span> air pollution, theories surrounding the relationship between pollution and ill-health have been forced into a sickening reality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ella\u00a0<\/span>Adoo-Kissi-<\/span>Debrah<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as her cause of death.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span><\/b>I<\/span><\/b>nquest<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

According to\u00a0BBC news<\/a>, Southwark Coroner\u2019s Court concluded that air pollution \u201cmade a material contribution\u201d to Ella\u2019s death.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the two-week inquest was concluded, Philip Barlow, Coroner, stated that Ella had been exposed to \u201cexcessive\u201d levels of air pollution.<\/p>\n

Philip Barlow said levels of Nitrogen Dioxide near Ella\u2019s home exceeded World Health Organisation and European\u00a0Union guidelines.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/b>There was a recognised failure to reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide, which possibly contributed to her death,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms and\u00a0<\/span><\/b>S<\/span><\/b>uffering\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Ella\u2019s symptoms\u00a0<\/span>were\u00a0<\/span>severe<\/span>\u00a0for three years before\u00a0<\/span>her death<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A<\/span>sthma attacks, seizures<\/span>, steroids,\u00a0<\/span>and hospital\u00a0<\/span>visits\u00a0<\/span>quickly became a part o<\/span>f her everyday life.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite being tested for\u00a0a number of\u00a0illnesses, the final verdict from doctors was that Ella ha<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0\u2018severe asthma\u2019<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>At times, s<\/span>he was unable to even walk up a flight of stairs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still incredibly sad about how much she suffered,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>her mother\u00a0<\/span>Rosamund<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>says. \u201cShe suffered greatly. That is something I cannot erase from my memory at all.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlawful Pollu<\/span><\/b>tion to Blame<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

In 2015,\u00a0<\/span>Ella\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>M<\/span>other\u00a0<\/span>took\u00a0<\/span>legal advice\u00a0<\/span>from<\/span>\u00a0Sir<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Stephen Holgate<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0a government adviser and one of the UK\u2019s leading experts on asthma and air pollution<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After a<\/span>ss<\/span>essing<\/span>\u00a0Ella\u2019s tissue samples and medical records\u00a0<\/span>in order to consider<\/span>\u00a0the severity of Ella\u2019s asthma, as well as looking at pollutant data in their area, Sir Stephen concluded that there was a direct link between Ella\u2019s condition and levels of toxic gases, such as nitrogen dioxide<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Sir\u00a0<\/span>Stephen<\/span>\u2019s research<\/span>, there\u00a0<\/span>was<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>\u201creal prospect that without unlawful levels of air pollution, Ella would not have died.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span><\/b>R<\/span><\/b>eality of\u00a0<\/span><\/b>A<\/span><\/b>ir\u00a0<\/span><\/b>P<\/span><\/b>ollution on\u00a0<\/span><\/b>C<\/span><\/b>hildren<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

The World Health Organisation (WHO)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>offers shocking\u00a0<\/span>statistics<\/span>\u00a0about the impact of air pollution on children:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n