Air Pollution and your health
The effects of air pollution on our health
Air pollution affects our health in many ways. It is an invisible danger that is causing more and more damage to our health and wellbeing as pollution rates have increased over the years. Studies have shown close links between air pollution and it’s impacts on long-term health conditions both nationally and internationally. The World Health Organization has provided evidence* of links between exposure to air pollution and type 2 diabetes, obesity, systemic inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has described air pollution as “the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK” and states that some of the main causes of air pollution rates include:
- Road transport (e.g. cars, lorries, motorbikes etc.)
- Non-road transport (e.g. trains, airplanes etc)
- Energy industries
- Manufacturing industries and construction
- Fugitive emissions (e.g. emissions not caught by a capture system, which are often due to equipment leaks, evaporative processes and windblown disturbances)
- Industrial processes (e.g. burning fossil fuels)
- Residential and small-scale commercial combustion (e.g. stoves, boilers, fireplaces etc.)
- Agriculture
In Birmingham, the following is known about the effects of air pollution:
Figure 1. Effects of air pollution in Birmingham (Published May 2017)
Given these effects, it is more important than ever that large-scale work is done to reduce air pollution. In a partnership study** with the UK Health Forum and Imperial College London, it was estimated that a 1 µg/m3 reduction in fine particulate air pollution in England alone could prevent around 50,900 cases of coronary heart disease, 16,500 strokes, 9,300 cases of asthma and 4,200 lung cancers over an 18-year period.
In Birmingham, we are passionate about taking action to reduce air pollution rates in order to protect our city and make a difference as soon as possible.
Dr Justin Varney talks about air pollution impacts on our health and wellbeing
References:
*World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidance on air pollution and health: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/guidance-on-air-pollution-and-health
** Health Security Agency (HSA) reports: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-air-pollution/health-matters-air-pollution