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Did you know
- Air pollution causes up to 24,000 premature deaths per year; far more than traffic accidents (3,500)
- The health impacts of traffic pollution costs £11.1 billion per year
- Children living in heavily trafficked streets are more likely to develop chronic respiratory problems.
- Around 3.4 million people in the UK have asthma; 1.5 million of them children
Air pollution levels in South Yorkshire are not likely to cause any major health problems for most people. But during times of high air pollution, symptoms such as eye irritation or coughing may be triggered. Some people who are more sensitive to air pollution may feel the effects more severely, and at lower levels. Those likely to be more sensitive include those who suffer from heart and lung disease, including asthma and bronchitis, especially young children and the elderly.
If you or someone you know falls into this check here for further advice.
The UK Government has produced an air quality index to describe the health impact of the different levels of pollution, especially on sensitive individuals. The bands have been set using the latest research on the medical effects of air pollution on health and are intended to simplify air quality information so that people can easily understand its possible health effects.
To find out what today’s levels are and how they have been assessed on health effects, check here. These are based on measurements taken from UK Government air monitoring sites, and not local authority owned ones.