UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK air pollution kills 500+ people weekly, costs £500m, and doctors call it a public health crisis needing urgent government action.
As reported by The Guardian, doctors warn that toxic air now affects 99% of the UK population, costing over £500m weekly in health and productivity.
Royal College of Physicians report on air pollution
The Royal College of Physicians has revealed that polluted air claims over 500 lives each week and damages nearly all organs, even at minimal exposure levels.
According to the college’s report, air pollution poses a far greater threat to public health than previously believed. It affects mortality rates, economic productivity, healthcare systems, and individual lifespans.
The RCP report says toxic air is a serious health risk. It can harm unborn babies and raise the chances of cancer, stroke, heart problems, mental illness, and dementia.
Research reveals air pollution causes 30,000 deaths annually in Britain and costs the economy £27bn.
The report disclosed that breathing in polluted air can less life expectancy by 1.8 years. This places it just behind major global killers like cancer and smoking.
The college urged ministers to take urgent measures to tackle the crisis, calling on the government to treat air pollution as a major public health concern.
Chris Whitty’s stance on air pollution’s ongoing health threat
England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, stated,
“Air pollution remains the most important environmental threat to health, with impacts throughout the life course.”
He added,
“It is an area of health where the UK has made substantial progress in the last three decades, with concentrations of many of the main pollutants falling rapidly, but it remains a major cause of chronic ill health as well as premature mortality.”
What did Dr Mumtaz Patel say about air pollution as a health crisis?
Dr Mumtaz Patel, president of the RCP, said air pollution should no longer be viewed solely as an environmental concern, labelling it “a public health crisis”.
She said,
“We are losing tens of thousands of lives every year to something that is mostly preventable, and the financial cost is a price we simply cannot afford to keep paying.”
Ms Patel stated,
“We wouldn’t accept 30,000 preventable deaths from any other cause. We need to treat clean air with the same seriousness we treat clean water or safe food. It is a basic human right – and a vital investment in our economic future.”
What did the RCP chief executive say about air pollution?
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of the RCP, called air pollution “the biggest environmental threat to human health”, warning it had become a public health emergency.
She added,
“Despite the huge personal and financial costs of air pollution, the government has not yet shown the political will to tackle this crisis.”
Government spokesperson’s views on tackling air pollution
A spokesperson said,
“We have already provided £575m to support local authorities to improve air quality and are developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.”
What is Ella’s law, and why are campaigners demanding it?
Doctors, nurses, patients, and campaigners will gather outside Great Ormond Street Hospital on Thursday before marching to Downing Street, calling on ministers to adopt “ambitious” air quality goals.
Next month, MPs from across party lines will bring back a proposed law. The legislation, titled “Ella’s Law,” honours Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who died from an asthma attack in 2013. She lived just 82 feet from the heavily polluted South Circular Road in Lewisham. A 2020 inquiry found that air pollution caused her death, making it the first case like this in the UK.
Reasons for air pollution in the UK
- Road traffic: Main source of NOx and PM2.5 in cities (33% NOx).
- Industry: Emits SO₂, PM2.5 (26%), and heavy metals.
- Home heating: Coal, wood, and gas use add CO, NOx, and PM2.5.
- Farming: Reasons 87% of ammonia emissions, forming PM2.5.
- Transport sectors: Ports/airports emit NOx, PM; 1,800 early deaths annually.
- City density: Pollution 4–5x WHO limits in urban regions.