Air pollution may be responsible for more than 35,000 premature deaths a year, a government minister admitted, more than 50 per cent more than the official estimate.
Environment Minister Jim Fitzpatrick quoted the figure when giving evidence to the Commons environment audit committee (EAC), the Guardian reports.
Government estimates of premature deaths from long-term exposure to air pollution have previously stood around 24,000 people a year, a figure calculated from 1998 data. But evidence given to the MPs by Professor Frank Kelly of University College London and subsequently echoed by Fitzpatrick today suggest the real figure is around 35,000.
The MPs were also told that air pollution – minute particles emitted by road transport, shipping, domestic and industrial fuel burning may now be costing £7bn to £20bn a year.
Freedom of Information request by the Campaign for Clean Air in London (CCAL), confirmed the ‘up to 24,000’ number used in the speech last year was based on 1998 estimates for the health impact of air pollution, which themselves comprised 8,100 premature deaths due to short-term exposure to dangerous airborne particles; 3,500 due to sulphur dioxide; and between 700 and 12,500 due to ozone.
Simon Birkett, Founder of the CCAL called the UK’s air pollution problem ‘one of the biggest public health failings by a government in modern history’ and called for the Government to apologise for failing to warn the public of the threat posed by poor air quality.
He said: “Under intense questioning as part of the same EAC inquiry two weeks ago, Professor Frank Kelly – one of the UK’s most respected health experts – confirmed the likelihood of around 35,000 premature deaths in the UK in 2005 due to long-term exposure to dangerous airborne particles. Professor Kelly mentioned also a European estimate of some 50,000 for such deaths for the UK. Even allowing for some overlap between the number of premature deaths due to short-term and long-term exposure, and perhaps between different types of pollutants, the EAC has finally unearthed the real impact of poor air quality in the UK.
“We should remember too that, even if the UK achieved clean air tomorrow, people would still continue to die prematurely due to their earlier exposure to dangerous airborne particles. Only over time, as a population generation lived its whole life free from air pollution, would people reach their full potential life expectancy. “
