Does living next to a freeway cause asthma?

In a recent article published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers  found that children who lived in a neighborhood facing intersections with major highways or railroads were 40% to 70% more likely to develop asthma than children who lived in a neighborhood that did not face a major intersection or railroad.   Studies such as these suggesting a significant link between exposure to motor vehicle traffic and the risk of developing major chronic health problems in children such as asthma, has particular relevance for residents of Ahwatukee who believe that the proposed Loop 202 expansion around South Mountain is likely to bring their homes and children’s schools painfully close to one of the busiest truck traffic thoroughfares in the country.

ref. “The Influence of Neighborhood Environment on the Incidence of Childhood Asthma: A Propensity Score Approach”
Remarks by Juhn et al. (JACI April 2010 / Volume 125, No. 4)