Taking the sea air? More likely a lungful of pollution

THE bracing seaside town of Eastbourne once tempted the likes of Charles Dickens to leave the urban smog of London in search of cleaner air.

But, according to a new report from the Royal College of Physicians, the Sussex town is now one of the most dangerously polluted areas in Britain.

Despite sitting on the doorstep of the South Downs, Eastbourne is effectively trapped between pollution from London and the Continent and now contains levels of lethal particulates far higher than recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The new research shows that 44 major UK towns and cities now breach WHO guidelines on air quality with particulate levels so high they are causing 40,000 premature deaths each year, and six million sick days.

According to WHO, tiny particles – known as PM2.5S – should not exceed 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

But in most major urban areas, pollution is above healthy levels. In Glasgow it is 60 per cent higher than acceptable levels, while people in Southampton and London and Eastbourne regularly breathe in air that has 50 per cent more particulates than is healthy.

Dr Toby Hillman, one of the report’s authors from the Royal College of Physicians, said: “We know the effects of poor air quality run from cradle to grave. It’s a lifetime threat to human health.”

Dr Hillman said diesel-powered vehicles, which generate huge numbers of particles, were one of the “key drivers” of poor air quality in Britain’s cities.

“Unfortunately previous policies about encouraging diesel adoption have led to an increase in the amount of diesel-related pollution,” he said.

“Within urban centres after the Clean Air Act of 1956 the major shift has been from coal-fired power stations to diesel engines producing the nitrous oxides and PM2.5 particulates, and diesel is particularly bad for this.

“It’s probably one of the key drivers of the reduction in air quality, particularly in metropolitan areas.”

Other majorly polluted urban areas include Stoke-on-trent, Oxford, Cardiff and Birmingham with 40 per cent higher than recommended levels of particulates, while Manchester and Bristol have 30 per cent more.

In a “briefing for UK policymakers” the report called for the expansion of clean air zones and wider introduction of measures similar to London’s new T-charge, which imposes a levy on drivers of the most polluting vehicles.

Many British cities and towns also broke the WHO limits for PM10S, slightly larger sooty specks. The report added that 802 London schools and a high proportion of the capital’s hospitals and clinics were located in highly polluted areas. The impact of air pollution in UK cities forms part of a major study into the health impact of climate change which has brought together 24 institutions and governmental bodies from across the world.

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change warned that global warming was the “major health threat” of the 21st century and the impact was likely to be worse than feared.

The report pointed out that between 2000 and 2016 there had been a 46 per cent increase in the number of weather-related disasters around the world.