More action needed to tackle air pollution deaths, research warns

A study carried out by the University of the West of England (UWE) has claimed not enough is being done to improve air quality, despite it contributing towards over 50,000 deaths in the last 20 years.

The report claimed that there had been little improvement in air pollution concentrations since the UK signed up to international air quality standards in 1995, as part of the Environment Act.

It warned that that transport planners have concentrated on preventing road deaths - but advised the environmental impacts of transport choices are not being treated with equal seriousness.

The study also identified that in some cases air quality was an issue of social equity, with households in less affluent areas being exposed to greater levels of air pollution.

Professor Parkhurst, from UWE, argued: “Air pollution is perhaps the grossest manifestation of a general failure of UK transport planning to take the environmental impacts of transport choices sufficiently into account.

Dr Chatterton, who also authored the report, warned: “Air pollution-related morbidity and mortality are at 'epidemic' levels and, although less obvious, are more significant than road transport collisions as a cause of death and injury.

The researchers have called for stronger political commitments to protect public health, particularly for the well-being of young children, whose life chances could be compromised by exposure to air pollution.