Polluted pavements warning

PEDESTRIANS have been warned to walk on the inside of pavements after it emerged that even legal levels of pollution can damage the heart.

Particulate matter under 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) in diameter was linked to inflammation, constriction of blood vessels and high blood pressure. Cities must not exceed 25 micrograms per m3 or face fines. Using heart scans from more than 4,000 people in the UK, re- searchers from the University of London found the average exposure to PM2.5 in the UK was about 10 micrograms per cubic metre (m3) which is less than half of the European target, yet the authors still found harmful effects

“Walk on the part of the pavement furthest from cars to reduce the amount of pollution you breathe in,” researchers advsed at EUROCMR 2017 in Prague.