The Impact Of Air Pollution
IT is 65 years since London’s great smog of 1952. The weather pressed down a toxic blanket of smoke, which came from factories and the coal fires that kept homes warm. The smog lasted for several days and in that short period, it killed at least 4,000 people.
London today is very different, and we don’t have those “pea-soupers” any more. But air pollution is still a problem in cities and towns across the UK, and even in the countryside. The main culprit now is not coal, but traffic.
Each year in the UK, some 40,000 people die early due to the effects of air pollution. It is also making us sicker.
To learn more, I asked Professor Stephen Holgate, MRC Clinical Professor at the University of Southampton and Honorary Consultant Physician at Southampton University Hospital Foundation Trust.
He is also the Special Advisor on Air Quality for the Royal College of Physicians.
He explained that tiny toxins and particles are being poured into our air from cars, lorries and buses. In addition to particles, the main gases to worry about are nitrogen oxides and ozone.
These pollutants come into our lungs and seep into the body’s circulation, where they can affect many aspects of our health.
Babies, children and older people are especially at risk. Air pollution can affect a child’s development from their time in the womb, all the way through their school years.
On the other end of the age spectrum, in older people air pollution contributes to conditions such as COPD (once known as emphysema), pneumonia and lung cancer. In all ages, there is an increasingly recognised link with asthma.
Scientists are now starting to think that air pollution could play a part in many other health problems such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, obesity and dementia.
Some medical studies suggest that toxins from air pollution could slow down thinking (cognition) in children and older people.
It all sounds quite scary – so what can we do?
There is some evidence that a healthy lifestyle can help. For example, when you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, their micronutrients like vitamins C and E give a measure of protection.
You can also check for high-pollution days, and learn more about the issue. Visit the RCP website at www.rcplondon. ac.uk/everybreathwetake to read “Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution”. Or visit uk-air.defra.gov.uk for government information and updates.
We can all do our part by driving less, and using other ways to get around. Walking or riding your bicycle to the shops or on the school run cuts down pollution while providing valuable exercise. Try to find a route that is not on a busy, polluted road.
This is sometimes easier said than done, especially if you live far away from the shops with limited bus service, or in a busy area with heavy traffic. If you want to lobby for change, you can write to your local council, your national assembly or your MP. n