2 billion kids globally endangered by toxic air

As Indians woke Monday to smoke-filled skies from fireworks for the Hindu holiday of Diwali, New Delhi's worst season for air pollution began.

A new report from UNICEF says about a third of the world's 2 billion children who are breathing toxic air live in northern India and neighboring countries, risking serious health effects. Of the global total, 300 million kids are exposed to pollution levels over six times higher than standards set by the World Health Organization.

"Pollution levels every winter gallop," said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based organization. Some local studies indicate up to a third of Delhi's children have impaired lung function and respiratory diseases like asthma, she said. "This really signals health disaster."