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Oct 29, 2018 · The guidelines provide evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood. The updated guidelines provide recommendations on air quality guideline levels as well as interim targets for six key air pollutants.
- Air pollution: The invisible health threat
Air pollution is a major environmental threat and one of the...
- Air pollution: The invisible health threat
- Summary
- Scale of The Problem
- How Air Pollution Harms Health
- Call to Action: Reducing Air Pollution
- Resources
Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK, as long-term exposure to air pollution can cause chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as lung cancer, leading to reduced life expectancy. This edition of Health matters focuses on the health impacts that air pollution can have across...
Air pollution has a significant effect on public health, and poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK. In 2010, the Environment Audit Committeeconsidered that the cost of health impacts of air pollution was likely to exceed estimates of £8 to 20 billion. Epidemiological studies have shown that long-term exposure...
1. Where pollutants go in the body and what they do
When air pollutants enter the body, they can have effects on various different organs and systems, not just the respiratory system. This includes: 1. the eyes, nose and throat 2. the lungs and respiratory system 3. the heart – heart and blood vessel diseases, including strokes and hardening of the arteries, are one of the main effects of air pollution Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution may also affect the brain and is possibly linked to dementia and cognitive decline. There is also...
2. Impact of air pollution across a person’s lifetime
Air pollution can affect everyone, and air in all areas of the UK contains some proportion of man-made air pollutants. Exposure to air pollution has various different health effects, which come about at every stage of life, from a foetus’ first weeks in the womb all the way through to old age. The health effects of air pollution are complex, and range in severity of impact. In some cases, damage can be gradual and may not become apparent for many years. The 3 main conditions associated with a...
2.1. Early childhood development: pregnancy, the developing foetus and infancy
Pregnancy and early childhood are critical times for the formation and maturation of body systems, and the time during which the most rapid changes take place. Factors that adversely affect human development, including air pollution, can have both immediate and long-lasting effects on a person’s health, and some health impacts may only emerge later in life. As well as potential effects on foetal growth, air pollution exposure is associated with low birth weight and premature birth.
Improving air quality is crucial to reduce the health impacts discussed above and, in turn, help people live longer, healthier lives. A study in 2006 found that reducing PM by 10µg/m3would extend lifespan in the UK by 5 times more than eliminating casualties on the roads, or 3 times more than eliminating passive smoking. Everyone needs to play thei...
Download supporting references Download the Health matters infographics Read the Health matters blog Read case study: Reduced bus emissions and improved air quality in Brighton & Hove Read case study: ECO Stars Fleet Recognition Scheme Read case study: New data on pollution levels around hospitals and surgeries from BLF Read case study: Clean Air D...
Sep 22, 2021 · Air pollution is even more dangerous than previously thought, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, as it slashes maximum safe levels of key pollutants such nitrogen dioxide. An...
Apr 7, 2019 · The most obvious effects are on our breathing: increasing the risk of asthma attacks and inflammation of the lungs. The BBC's Science Editor, David Shukman, explains how air...
Feb 11, 2021 · About six million people aged over 65 in England are at high risk of lung damage and asthma attacks because of toxic air, according to a new report. It finds that older people and...
Jul 12, 2023 · Air pollution is a major environmental threat and one of the main cases of death among all risk factors, ranking just below hypertension, tobacco smoking and high glucose.
Air pollution – the combination of outdoor and indoor particulate matter and ozone – is a risk factor for many of the leading causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections, lung cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
