The impact of air quality on health

Air pollution is made up of gases, particles and chemicals that are usually invisible and enter our lungs when we breathe in air. It can have a big impact on our health, with short-term and long-term effects in all stages of life.

• air pollution comes from many different sources: outdoors and indoors
• air pollution is mainly produced when we burn fuels for vehicles or to heat buildings, and when materials are broken down over time
• ‘air quality’ describes how polluted the air is
• indoor air quality can be worse than outdoor air quality

Air pollution affects everyone. However children, older people and people with existing health conditions like asthma tend to be most vulnerable to poor air quality.

It is the biggest environmental health risk in the UK, estimated to cause up to 40,000 early deaths per year.

The indirect costs of air pollution are high: asthma costs the NHS around £1 billion a year.

Short-term effects on health:

• throat irritation
• cause or worsen asthma symptoms
• cough, wheezing or shortness of breath

Long-term effects on health:

• cause or worsen respiratory conditions
• cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke)
• lung cancer
• dementia

Reduce the impact of air pollution on your health