Are current levels of air pollution harmful to health?

What is it about?

This study examined whether levels of air pollution currently allowed in England are harmful to the health of the population. We used an approach that had not been tried before in the UK. Most research on the health effects of air pollution looks at daily time series of measurements of pollution and health to estimate the immediate impact of pollution on health. But this approach does not pick up longer term effects. Instead of looking at daily measures we examined the relationship between annual levels of air pollution and mortality at local authority level. Rather than examining just one city or one specific area, as has often been done in the epidemiological literature, we looked at all local authorities in England between 1998 and 2005. We made sure differences between local authorities do not confound the relationship by focusing on changes in air pollution and mortality within local authorities over time. We found that higher levels of particulate matter and ozone are both associated with higher death rates. The group most affected are older people. The link between these pollutants and death rates was considerably larger than had been previously estimated for England.

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Why is it important?

It is well established that high levels of air pollution are dangerous to health. The London smog of 1952 is a classic example, with a reported death toll of 4,000. By historical standards the UK now has low levels of air pollution. Yet our research finds that air pollution at levels currently allowed in England is harmful to the health of the population.