Hundreds of deaths caused by raised air pollution in Cov and Warks

MORE than 150 deaths in a single year in Coventry were due to raised levels of air pollution.

And there were nearly 300 deaths in the same time period in Warwickshire, new figures have revealed.

Imperial College London and COPI (Central Office of Public Interest) have created the most detailed map to date of air pollution in the UK.

It specifies pollution levels for where you live and shows nearly every home in the UK is subjected to air pollution above World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

Homeowners can also find out the levels of pollutants PM2.5 and PM10, which are small particles in the air that can cause lung problems, and in the case of PM2.5 can cause cancer, as well as Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), which can increase the risk of disease-related mortality. Poor air quality is a significant public health issue.

Air pollution in the UK in 2013 was associated with 328,000 to 416,000 years lost due to people dying early.

Public Health England has estimated the number of deaths each year that may be attributable to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5).

It suggests levels of air pollution may have contributed to one in 18 deaths of people over 30 (5.7%) in Coventry in 2019, equating to around 160 deaths in total.

Figures also revealed that levels of air pollution may have contributed to one in 19 deaths of people over 30 (5.2%) in Warwickshire in 2019, equating to around 280 deaths in total.

WHO (World Health Organisation) sets a guideline limit of 10 ug/m3, the amount of particles by cubic metre of air, for annual levels of PM2.5, which include fine particles of dust, dirt, soot, and smoke, often due to road vehicles. Ministers

have pledged to reach a target limit of 25 ug/m3 by next year in the UK, excluding Scotland.

Each increase by 10 ug/m3 in levels of PM2.5 is assumed to increase death rates by 6%.

Long-term exposure to particulate air pollution increases the risk of death, particularly from cardiovascular causes, while short-term exposure to high concentrations can exacerbate lung and heart conditions.

Across England, 5.1% of deaths were attributable to fine particle air pollution in 2019 which is the equivalent of around 25,000 deaths of people aged over 30 in a year. But the Clean Air Strategy outlined by the Government aims to reduce Britons’ exposure to PM2.5, with plans to set out what action would be needed to meet the WHO guidelines.

It also plans to reduce PM2.5 concentrations across the UK, so that the number of people living in locations above the guideline level is reduced by 50% by 2025.