EXALAR 21: The influence of exposure to urban air pollutants, green and blue spaces, and biodiversity on the development of allergic diseases and asthma in children: a life-course and eco-social approach
EXALAR 21 is an innovative and multidisciplinary project that involves geography and geographic information systems, but also medicine, biology, urban planning and environmental sciences. The aim of the present project is to study the close and intricate relationship between health, more precisely allergic diseases and asthma, and the exposure to the urban ecosystem, characterised by high levels of air pollution, reduced biodiversity, and lack of green and blue spaces. The project will be grounded in a large birth cohort (Generation XXI) composed of 8647 newborns from Porto Metropolitan Area that since 2005 have been followed through time, and on geographical data obtained by remote sensing and local cartography. Our results will not only contribute towards the creation of healthier and liveable cities, but may also reduce health expenses by improving primary prevention of allergic diseases and asthma in children.
