Almost one-fifth of deaths in British cities is linked to air pollution, new report suggests
- Urban residents more likely to die from exposure to pollution than car crash
- London, Luton and Slough have all been singled out as pollution blackspots
- Aberdeen is the city with the lowest pollution-related death rate at one in 33
More than one in 19 deaths in British towns and cities is linked to air pollution, a report claimed yesterday.
It said urban residents were 25 times more likely to die from long-term exposure to pollution than in a car crash.
Higher levels of deadly dust, ash and soot – particulate matter – are also more common in southern areas, according to the charity Centre for Cities.
More than one in 19 deaths in British towns and cities is linked to air pollution, a report claimed yesterday (stock image)
London, Luton and Slough were singled out as pollution blackspots.
An estimated one in 16 deaths in these areas was put down to exposure to pollution.
Aberdeen is the city with the lowest pollution-related death rate at one in 33, closely followed by Dundee, Glasgow, Blackpool and Edinburgh.
Aberdeen (pictured) is the city with the lowest pollution-related death rate at one in 33, closely followed by Dundee, Glasgow, Blackpool and Edinburgh
Zak Bond, of the British Lung Foundation, said: ‘Breathing in toxic air is bad for everyone and can lead to a wide range of health conditions including lung disease, stroke and cancer.
Andrew Carter, of Centre for Cities,urged the Government to adopt the WHO’s tough guidelines on pollution.
He added: ‘The deadly levels of polluted air we’re breathing are legal across most of the UK.
‘This needs to change.’