As the Government comes under fire for not doing more to tackle pollution, Lisa Salmon finds out how the nation’s health is being damaged by poor air quality.

THE average person takes about ten million breaths a year, and if those are taken in the UK there’s a good chance the air is so dirty that it could be shortening their life.

A report by a committee of MPs estimates that 200,000 people a year are dying prematurely because of poor air quality, which can lead to, or exacerbate, respiratory infections, as well as heart and lung diseases.

A report by the Environmental Audit Committee this week warned that the Government’s failure to meet EU standards on air pollution is putting the health of UK residents at risk.

It estimates the lives of those most badly affected by air pollution are being shortened by an average of two years.

The World Health Organisation estimates that exposure to the tiny particles in air pollution alone is responsible for about eight per cent of lung cancer deaths worldwide, five per cent of cardiopulmonary deaths and aboutthree per cent of all respiratory infection deaths.

Lewis Merdler, campaign manager at Environmental Protection UK, which leads the national Healthy Air Campaign, says air pollution in the UK has a huge impact on the nation’s respiratory and cardiovascular health, and particularly affects children and the elderly.

“Air pollution in the UK represents a huge public health crisis and contributes to more premature deaths than obesity and passive smoking combined,” he says. “It’s a scandal the Government isn’t doing more to protect the most vulnerable in our communities from dangerous levels of air pollution.”

Professor John Britton, an expert in respiratory medicine at the University of Nottingham, says the main health effects of this type of pollution are twofold.

First, air pollution can increase the risk of respiratory infection and exacerbate conditions, such as asthma, probably as a direct effect of irritation of the airways from inhaling pollutants.

Second, it can increase the risk of heart disease through the absorption of tiny particles into the blood. Experts assume these probably affect the way the blood clots, and may precipitate heart attacks.

“Essentially, pollution outdoors is probably doing much the same as tobacco smoke indoors does,” says Britton.

He adds that people with underlying lung disease will, of course, be affected more by air pollution than healthy individuals. However, the position is a little different with heart disease.

“People often don’t know they have narrowing of the arteries in the heart, and a little bit more clotting on top of that could lead to a major event like a heart attack.”

But there’s not a great deal people can do to avoid such emissions – and there’s not much point walking round in a surgical mask, says Britton. “Masks aren’t going to make much difference. The gases will just go around a mask as the particles are so small. If you’re breathing air in, you’ll get the particles.”

He says the best way to improve air quality is by cutting the emissions produced – by using less road transport and cleaner energy.

“A degree of air pollution is inevitable.

We need things to be moved around by road and we need energy to stay warm,” he says. “But some of it is avoidable.”

REDUCE THE RISKS

Environmental Protection UK suggests ways people can reduce both their exposure to air pollution and activities that cause pollution.

• Use the car less and don’t leave the engine running while waiting.

• Set up or join an existing bike or walking group to your workplace or school.

• Don’t take heavy exercise on busy roads and on hot sunny days. Cycling or running increases the amount of air entering your lungs, so side roads, parks and footpaths are a better option.

• Air pollution will be worse when the sky’s clear and it’s a warm day, so take extra care on those days, particularly if you suffer from asthma, other respiratory problems, or are recovering from heart problems or a stroke.

• If walking on a busy street, try to walk as far away from the traffic as possible – even a few feet may reduce your exposure slightly.

• Some areas have air pollution monitoring services, which can alert you to high pollution episodes when it may be best to avoid going out. If you’re particularly vulnerable to the impact of air pollution, ask your local authority if they provide a monitoring service.

For more information on the Healthy Air campaign, visit healthyair.org.uk