Air pollution, your health and what you can do

Find out what air pollution is, how it affects your health and what you can do about it.

Air pollution is a mix of different harmful gases and very small particles, released into the air around us and is in the air we breathe.

The main gasses of concern are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO).The main threat to clean air is posed by traffic emissions from petrol and diesel engines and from burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil in our homes, workplaces, buildings and factories. These gases are not only a problem when they originally occur but can travel long distances on the wind, or become more concentrated in hot weather.

The very small particles released into the air from tyre and break dust from vehicles or smoke particles from log burners and coal fires are also a concern for health. These particles are so small we generally cannot see them but we breathe them in. These are known as particulate matter and are much smaller than the width of a human hair. You can read more about the Causes of air pollution.

How it affects your health

Air pollution (dirty air) and good air quality (clean air) affects us all, every day for the whole of our lives. Clean air is better for us.

Some people with medical conditions affecting their breathing, lungs and airways, such as asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or emphysema will experience more difficulties in dirty air. This could be things like sore eyes, runny nose, sore throat and difficulty breathing. These symptoms may not last for a long time after the exposure to dirty air and may even require a doctor or hospital visit.

Damage to our general health may not be noted straight away and can build up over time. Those people most at risk are pregnant women; young babies through to school age children; the elderly and people with lung and heart conditions.

When the pollution in dirty air enters the body it can affect other parts of the body too like the brain, heart and blood vessels. These can relate to medical issues such as strokes, brain function, dementia, lung cancer and lower birth rates.

More detailed information can be found at Government advice on air pollution.

What you can do about it

If you have any health conditions which have previously been mentioned on this page or any which affect your breathing, remember to take your inhalers and medication.

Follow the following actions to protect your health and avoid possible areas of pollution:

Plan your day to avoid exposure to heavy traffic.
Avoid areas or times of limited but a higher concentration of dirty air.
Think where there may be stationary, idling traffic. Examples of this are rush hour, school pick up times, drive-through restaurants, busy roads and rail crossings, taxi ranks, covered and enclosed car parks, bus and train stations.
If you are in a car, close external air vents for short periods if you are in heavy traffic or travelling through a tunnel.
Check the air quality forecast for your area and for any areas you are travelling to.
Consider the weather and the effect it may have on air quality.
Keep windows and doors closed during rush hours, if you are close to a busy road.
Avoid or replace strong cleaners, scented candles or other items in the house which affect your breathing.

What you can do to protect the health of others and reduce air pollution:

Turn off your engine when stationary (especially in vulnerable areas such as schools, health centres, hospital car parks and care homes).
Use the automatic start and stop functions in vehicles.
Avoid travelling in rush hour.
Swap local car journeys for bus rides, car sharing, walking or cycling and avoiding polluted routes.
Maintain all of your fuel burning devices such as boilers, gas fires and log burners. This ensures they are as efficient as possible.
Only burn approved fuels on an open fire or log burner.