Air pollution can have short-term and long-term effects on health. The size of the effect will vary depending, amongst other things, on the concentration of the pollutant, the period of exposure and the health of an individual.
Overall, air pollution should be seen as one of a number of factors, such as respiratory infections, exposure to airborne allergens, flu, smoking and extremes of temperature that can affect our health.
The potential effects of air pollution on health
• In general, healthy individuals will not notice or suffer from any serious or lasting ill effects from the levels of pollution that are commonly experienced in the UK;
• However, there is evidence to show that some people with diseases of the airways (such as asthma) may be adversely affected by day-to-day changes in the levels of air pollutants;
• The number of deaths and hospital admissions that occur each day increases when air pollution levels are high, particularly for those with cardiovascular and lung disorders and especially amongst the elderly.
How can I find out about air pollution levels?
Information about long-term concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the district are available on the Air Quality Monitoring page.
Information on short-term, day to day variations in air quality is available from the Air Pollution Information Service. It provides information on five main air pollutants and classifies levels as ‘low’, ‘moderate’, ‘high’ or ‘very high’. The service is available through TV teletext pages, freephone and the internet as detailed below:
Teletext: Page: 156
Freephone: 0800 55 66 77
Internet: http://www.airquality.co.uk
How can I avoid exposure to elevated air pollution levels?
It is not practical to avoid going outdoors on days when pollution levels are raised, but you could consider the following precautions:
• Avoid vigorous outdoor exercise on days when pollution is classified as ‘high’ or ‘very high’;
• People with serious lung and heart disorders, the elderly and children should avoid roads with heavy traffic if possible when pollution is classified as ‘high’ or ‘very high’;
• Some asthmatics may be able to adjust their dose of ‘preventer’ or ‘reliever’ medicines if they know that their condition is made worse by air pollution.
For ways to reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants, see the Indoor Air Quality page.
Date Updated: 09/07/10