Health Impacts
Back to National Air Quality Standards
The Pollutants and Their Health Impacts
| Pollutant |
Health Impact |
| Benzene |
Benzene is a known human carcinogen. |
| Carbon Monoxide |
Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odourless poisonous gas. It affects the transport of oxygen around the body by the blood. At very high levels, it can lead to a significant reduction in the supply of oxygen to the heart, particularly in people suffering from heart disease. |
| Lead |
Lead is a cumulative poison to the central nervous system and is particularly detrimental to the mental development of children. |
| Nitrogen Dioxide |
Nitrogen Dioxide gas irritates and inflames the airways of the lungs. This irritation causes a worsening of symptoms of those with lung or respiratory diseases. |
| Particles (PM10) |
Fine particles (<10 micron) can be breathed deeply into the lungs and thus are more likely to have a toxic effect than larger dust particles. Particles are associated with health effects including increased risk of heart and lung disease. In addition, they may carry surface-absorbed carcinogenic compounds into the lungs. Expert opinion is that there is no threshold concentration below which particulates have no effect on health. |
| Ozone |
Like Nitrogen Dioxide, high levels of Ozone can irritate and inflame the lungs and is responsible for the early death of between 700 to 12,500 people a year in the UK. It can also cause eye irritation, migraine and coughing. |
| 1,3-Butadiene |
1,3-Butadiene is a known carcinogen. |
| Sulphur Dioxide |
Short-term exposure to high levels of sulphur dioxide may cause coughing, tightening of the chest and irritation of the lungs and is estimated to bring forward 3,500 deaths annually in the UK. |
Who is at Risk?
Some of the pollutants above only represent a problem for those who suffer from heart and lung conditions including asthma and lung disease. Nitrogen Dixide, for example, can make it difficult for such sensitive inderviduals to breathe. Other pollutants, mentioned above, are carcinogenic which means that they have the potnetial to cause cancer, however small the possibility. This is something that no-one is immune to and thus we are all at risk from from poor air quality.
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