Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/xTXSfk6mPK0   Parents who reduce their carbon footprints by cycling rather than car riding their children to preschools and elementary schools in bicycle trailers may be exposing the young ones to undue levels of pollutants.  The same goes for parents who take their children along in these trailers as they exercise.   Environmental engineers at the UK’s University of Surrey measured air pollutant exposures to bike trailer occupants as well as the parent cyclists during 82 bicycle runs of 1.3 to 1.4 miles in typical residential zones.   Pollutant exposures were higher in the afternoon runs home from school and were up to 18% higher at that time for the kids riding in the trailers than for the parents cycling them.  Trailer covers reduced the exposures to fine pollutants by up to 51% on morning runs but were less helpful in the afternoon with exposures to more course pollutant particles.   The bottom line: if cycling with your little ones in bike trailers, ride in areas as far away