Air Pollution and Health

Air pollution is the one of the largest environmental risks to health in the UK and can be a problem outdoors and indoors. It is a mixture of harmful gases, chemicals and particles floating in the air. When we breathe in, pollution can enter the lungs and bloodstream and affect the whole body.

Air pollution can cause new health problems and worsen existing ones, affecting the lungs, heart and brain. Short-term effects (over hours or days) include coughing, wheezing and breathlessness and exacerbation of existing health conditions such as asthma, while long-term exposure (over years or lifetimes) reduces life expectancy and is linked to conditions such as asthma, COPD, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and increased risk of dementia.

Some groups are more vulnerable, including children, older people, pregnant women, those with existing health conditions, and communities in areas of higher pollution, such as close to busy roads. Both outdoor sources (e.g. traffic, industry) and indoor sources (e.g. cooking, cleaning products, smoking, damp and mould) contribute to exposure.

By having MECC conversations about air pollution we can enable people to take steps to improve their health and wellbeing.

Very Brief Intervention

Ask

Do you know much about air pollution and where it comes from?
Use this to explore awareness of both indoor and outdoor sources (e.g. traffic, cooking, smoking, cleaning products)

Do you think you could be at risk from air pollution where you live, work or spend time?
Identify exposure risks such as proximity to traffic or time spent indoors.

If yes, then: do you know how air pollution can harm your health?
Use this to gauge understanding of health impacts across the lungs, heart and wider body and explore awareness of both short-term symptoms and long-term risks.

Do you know what you could do to breathe cleaner air?
Assess readiness to change and opportunity for advice.

Assist

Explain how air pollution affects health

  • Explain that air pollution can affect our health, both now and in the future. It can harm all parts of our bodies including our lungs, heart and brain, causing new health problems and making existing ones worse.
  • It can lead to symptoms such as coughing and breathlessness in the short term, and increase the risk of serious long-term conditions, like asthma, COPD, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and increased risk of dementia.
  • Some individuals are more vulnerable, including children, pregnant women and their unborn baby, older adults, those with existing health conditions, and communities in areas of higher pollution, such as close to busy roads.
  • Children are at greater risk of harm than adults because their lungs are smaller and still growing, they are smaller, so they are closer to sources like exhaust pipes, and they breathe more quickly than adults.

Highlight sources of exposure

  • Outdoors, the main sources of air pollution are burning fuels for energy, transport (cars, vans, lorries, buses, trains and aeroplanes), factories, building work and construction sites, and farming.
  • Indoors, the main sources of air pollution are cooking, burning wood, products we use such as cleaning and personal care products, burning candles, smoking, and damp and mould.
  • Explain that if you spend a lot of time in an area with high levels of air pollution your risk may also be higher.

Act

Provide tailored advice to reduce exposure

Check local air quality levels and adapt activities if pollution is high.

The Check Air Quality website allows you to enter a postcode (for example your home, school, or work postcode) and check the air pollution forecast over the next 5 days. It includes information on ways you can breathe cleaner air and health advice for the pollution levels where you are that day.

Use this service to:

  • check air quality in a local area
  • find health information and guidance
  • find information on air pollutants

There are some ways we can all breathe cleaner air. Some ways we can breathe cleaner air outdoors are:

Outdoors:

  • If it is safe enough, walk down quieter side streets or along greener routes, rather than along busy roads
  • Walk on the side of the pavement furthest away from traffic and keep children on the side furthest away from the traffic if walking with them
  • Walk, wheel, or cycle instead of driving as air pollution levels inside a car can be higher than outside
  • If travelling by car on a busy road, keep the windows closed and set the air supply to recirculation
  • Physical activity is important for good health, so try to keep active. If air pollution levels are high, consider reducing your exposure by choosing quieter or greener routes, being active earlier in the day, or exercising indoors. Also consider the impact of other triggers on your symptoms, such as high pollen levels outdoors or poor air quality indoors. If you have a health condition and notice your symptoms worsening, follow your usual care plan and seek advice from your healthcare professional if needed.

Indoors:

  • Open a window when cooking, cleaning or doing DIY to help fresh air circulate.
  • Use an extractor fan if you have one, or open a window when cooking. Especially if you cook with gas.
  • Keep your home clean and dust-free where you can.
  • If you have another way to heat your home, avoid using open fires or wood-burning stoves.
  • Avoid burning candles indoors where possible.
  • Keep your home smoke-free.
  • Choose mild and unscented cleaning and personal care products where you can.
  • Have boilers, cookers and other fuel-burning appliances serviced regularly.
  • Keep your home warm if you can, to avoid damp and mould. In colder weather, aim for at least 18°C if you can. Visit the MECC - Affordable Warmth page.

Encourage behaviour that reduces pollution for others

  • Explain that reducing emissions (e.g. driving less, switching off engines, saving energy) protects both individual and community health.

Signpost to national support and information