Air pollution a 'serious public health threat'

The report calls on the Government to treat air pollution as a serious and preventable public health threat. Cath Noakes, CDT Co-Director and Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings in the School of Civil Engineering, co-authored the report's section on indoor air pollution.

She said: “We are calling on policymakers to recognise both outdoor and indoor air pollution as a public health issue and take the necessary steps to tackle it so that everyone can have the best chance of good health.”

The report, led by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), warns that air pollution affects almost every organ in the human body, is estimated to contribute to the equivalent of 30,000 deaths in the UK in 2025 and cost more than £27 billion annually.

Published on Clean Air Day (June 19th), it highlights studies in the last decade providing new knowledge about the significant health impacts of toxic air even at low concentrations, including on foetal development, cancer, heart disease, stroke, mental health conditions and dementia. As we spend more time in buildings, indoor air pollution also poses a growing concern. The report emphasises that poor ventilation, damp and mould, and emissions from domestic heating, gas cooking and household products all contribute significantly to poor health.

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