Summary: Air pollutants have been documented to be associated with a wide variety of adverse health impacts. Research has shown that significant and prolonged exposure to airborne contaminants is a contributing factor to the development of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary embolism and allergic diseases. The latter particularly concerns children. Data obtained from numerous scientific studies suggest that air pollutants may contribute to the development and incidence of allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR), asthma or food allergies. These data explain to a large extent the observed upward trend in the incidence of allergic diseases in the pediatric population over the last decades.