Washington, Nov 7 (IANS): Children who are exposed to more indoor pollution suffer more from asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever), shows a study done by an Indian American on Indian children.

Such children also suffer due to second-hand smoke, kerosene and biomass fuel combustion, showed the study presented at the ongoing American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

"Increased levels of asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever) were found in children in India who were exposed to more indoor pollutants," said Raj Kumar, an Indian-American member of ACAAI.

The study examined 70 households where no children had symptoms of asthma and/or hay fever, while the other 70 households had at least one child with one of those conditions.

Raj Kumar also measured the levels of air pollutants -- smoking, kerosene and biomass fuel combustion -- in all the homes, and found that in the homes of children who suffered from asthma and allergies, household air pollution was twice as great.

The higher levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were found in the houses of children with asthma and hay fever, showed the study.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, 235 million people suffer from asthma worldwide.

The results were published in the journal Cell.