Air quality is now the greatest environmental health risk

Poor air quality is widely known to have negative effects on health and especially lung health.

It affects people with existing lung disease, but also lung function in children and predisposing them to chronic lung problems in the future. Public Health England data show that 5% of all deaths in the five years prior the pandemic were attributable to human-made fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution [1].

A keynote British Thoracic Society (BTS) Winter Meeting session will today argue that air pollution should now be considered the greatest environmental health risk.

“Everyone has the right to breathe clean air as they have to drink clean water.” said Professor Sir Stephen Holgate, giving voice to the views of the expert panel ahead of the session.

He continues: “The overwhelming health evidence is that toxic air pollutants, especially fine particulates, predispose to, and accelerate a wide range of non-communicable diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and dementia.”

“Poor air quality also disproportionally effects the young and old and those experiencing inequalities. A national £42.5m UKRI and Meteorological Office Clean Air Programme of research is aiming to provide the necessary evidence to understand better how to further reduce both outdoor and indoor exposures to air pollutants."

Reflecting the panellists’ concerns and the growing health evidence, BTS strongly supports the calls for improving air quality to be one of the highest priorities for the Government’s health agenda, and that the Government should enshrine, in law, the target to reduce PM2.5 pollution to the WHO recommended maximum level [2] or below by 2030. 

Professor Jon Bennett, Chair of BTS, said:
“Policymakers must act now to reduce the future health impacts of poor air quality, doing nothing will result in greater burden of disease that the NHS will have to cope with.

“Clinicians cannot decide what the Government sets in law, but they can still play important roles, both as individuals, cutting air pollution through lifestyle choices, and as healthcare professionals, helping patients to understand the impact of air pollution on their health through the advice they offer.”

BTS regards improving air quality as a key priority, and is committed to raising awareness of evidence-based guidance in this area, as well as to inform, educate and support respiratory health care professionals on the actions that can be taken to mitigate the effects of air pollution on their patients’ health.

Notes 

1) Public Health England, 2017. 3.01 - Fraction of mortality attributable to particulate air pollution (2010-15) https://data.england.nhs.uk/dataset/phe-indicator-30101

2) WHO, Air quality guidelines. Global update 2005. Particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Link​