Research describes children exposed to air pollution equivalent to eight cigarettes a day by attending childcare near major roads Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Air pollution from trucks and buses is costing Australians about $6.2bn each year due to the health effects of exposure to vehicle exhaust, a University of Melbourne study has found. Like cigarette smoke, heavy vehicle exhaust is a mixture of tiny toxic carbon particles and gases that cause inflammation when inhaled, and is associated with a wide range of respiratory, heart and other health impacts, according to study author and health and policy researcher Dr Clare Walter. Continue reading...