Public Health England maps pollution death rates
Data published showing the proportion of deaths linked to air pollution in the UK, with London among the deadliest areas
Public Health England has today (April 10) published data detailing the fraction of deaths attributable to air pollution exposure for each local authority area within the UK.
The London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is estimated to have the highest proportion of deaths linked to air pollution
The data shows the proportion of deaths attributable to current levels of man-made particulate air pollution range from around 2.5% in some areas of Scotland and Northern Ireland and between 3 and 5% in Wales, peaking at over 8% in some London boroughs.
But, according to Public Health England, some of the estimates could in fact be significantly higher, due to uncertainty of the increase in mortality risk associated with ambient PM2.5.
Unsurprisingly, London boroughs are among those with the highest proportion of deaths attributable to air pollution, with the boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster topping the table — both with 8.3% of deaths believed to be linked to air pollution.
London
And, the boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Wandsworth each have more than 100 estimated deaths per year linked to air pollution.
Outside of the capital, cities such as Leicester (6.6%), Nottingham (6.4%) and Birmingham (6.4%), are also particularly affected.
Among the least affected areas are the Outer Hebrides, where eight air pollution-linked deaths occur per year (2.4%), while the Orkney and Shetland Islands were also similarly low. Meanwhile, the data shows that Moyle was the cleanest borough in Northern Ireland and Gwynedd in Wales.
The West of England, including Devon and Cornwall was the region that had the lowest percentage of deaths from air pollution in England.
In total some 28,000 deaths nationwide per year are estimated to be linked to air pollution.
The report is intended to inform public health professionals and local authority air quality specialists seeking to raise awareness of mortality rates attributable to air pollution in their area. Estimates are based on modelled annual average concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in each local authority area, resulting from human activities.
Commenting on the report, Dr Sotiris Vardoulakis, PHE’s head of Air Pollution and Climate Change, said: “The report has been produced to inform public health professionals and air quality specialists in local authorities about the likely effects of particle air pollution on public health in the UK. The estimates are intended to help local authorities consider air pollution among other public health issues.
“Much outdoor air pollution comes from burning fuels to generate heat and electricity, and from vehicles. Measures that significantly reduce particulate air pollution or cut exposure would be regarded as important public health initiatives.”
Do take particular notice of the present findings of low pollution rate in Cornwall and be prepared to keep watch on the effect of the forthcoming emissions from the Cornwall incinerator along with the combination with the clay dust particles from the clay mining in the same area. There is a high proportion of Kaolinite and Quartz in the clay. The area is in a bowl where dust whirls around and there is high humidity and rain.
it is most unsatisfactory that tests of the combination of chemicals were not studied , prior to the building of the incinerator. By not doing so, residents in the locality live in the fear of being made chronically sick or even worse, while authorities seem content to use these people as guinea pigs.