Every year there are thousands of premature deaths due to air pollution, not just in London, but across the country. Research by Imperial College London found that in 2019, toxic air contributed to the premature deaths of around 4,000 Londoners. This includes deaths from all causes, including respiratory, lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
According to the charity Asthma & Lung UK, exposure to air pollution over a long period of time can cause lung conditions, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They also say that if you’re exposed to high levels of pollution when you’re pregnant, whether you have asthma yourself or not, your baby could be more likely to develop asthma. The charity advises that air pollution increases the risk of lung infections like bronchitis and pneumonia, and that there is evidence that breathing in particulate matter (PM) plays a part in the development of lung cancer.
The growing health evidence also links air pollution to dementia; shows how air pollution causes lung cancer in non-smokers; and found particulate air pollution in unborn babies.
At present, air pollution hits the poorest communities and Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities the hardest. It is estimated that the most deprived areas of London experience levels of NO2 that are 13 per cent higher than the least deprived areas, with PM2.5 levels 6 per cent higher.