Children: higher exposure, more vulnerable lungs

Children are not small adults when it comes to air-quality exposure. Per kilogram of body weight, they breathe roughly 50% more air than adults: a 5-year-old at rest moves about 11 mL of air per kg per breath, an adult about 7 mL. For any given concentration in a room, a child's dose-per-mass is higher.

Their respiratory and immune systems are also still developing. WHO's air-pollution-and-child-health review documents the consequences: childhood air-pollution exposure is associated with reduced lung-function growth (a deficit that persists into adulthood), elevated asthma incidence, and measurable cognitive effects in long-term outdoor PM_2.5 studies.

Specific indoor risks worth flagging: gas-stove NO_x (the RMI synthesis attributes 12.7% of U.S. childhood asthma to gas-stove exposure); secondhand smoke and vaping aerosol; pet dander and dust-mite allergens in carpeted bedrooms; mold from chronic dampness. The dashboard's "Household has children under 12" setting weights tier cutoffs more conservatively for these specific pollutants.

For a child's bedroom: keep RH between 40-50% (low end of the comfort band, limits dust mites), HEPA-filter air during pollen season, avoid burning anything in the room, ventilate aggressively after cleaning. EPA publishes pediatric-specific guidance with more detail.

This is environmental information, not medical advice. The dashboard's readings help you make decisions about the air in your space. They do not diagnose conditions, interpret symptoms, or replace conversations with your physician. If symptoms persist, worsen, or coincide with a known exposure, talk to a healthcare professional. See the AI's medical-advice scope.