How aftershave can help protect against traffic fumes

I’M CURRENTLY filming a new TV series in

Los Angeles, the City of Angels — although I think it should be renamed Los Autos, the city of cars.

It is dominated by traffic, with air pollution so bad you can almost taste it. To be fair, some parts of the UK are no better.

One of the most dangerous emissions from cars, buses and lorries is PM2.5 — tiny particles so small they penetrate deep into your lungs when you breathe in, and are then carried around your body.

Last year the UK’s PM2.5 levels were 1.8 times higher than the World Health Organisation regards as safe. The cleanest air was found in Midlothian in Scotland; the worst air was in Lewes, near Brighton.

Air pollution kills an estimated 35,000 Britons every year, mainly through heart disease and stroke. But it’s the effect on children that I find particularly worrying. A study last year by Stanford University in the U.S. found that it reduces IQ and changes children’s genes so they are more likely to develop heart disease later in life. What’s especially disturbing is that because their genes have been altered, these changes are likely to be handed down to their children.

The UK’s decision to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 is a step in the right direction. But what can you do now to reduce your risk?

First, if you must drive, try to avoid being caught in traffic jams because you will be sitting in a sea of air pollution spewed out by other cars.

Closing the windows makes little difference, and nor does wearing masks — unless they pass the ‘Brut test’: put on a mask and splash some pungent aftershave such as Brut (or perfume) on your hand. If you can smell it, the mask isn’t good enough. Next, try to surround yourself with trees and plants (including pot plants at work) — the leaves are good at trapping small particles and absorbing gaseous pollution.

Finally, eat more celery, carrots, parsnips and parsley. A study on mice showed these vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants, help protect against the damaging effects of acrolein, a chemical produced by cars which irritates the lungs and skin.

Cutting air pollution worldwide would also boost food production (pollution weakens photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert light into energy).

At a time of a serious shortage of wheat, that is especially important.