WHEN you think about the impact air pollution has on the body, the first thing that probably springs to mind is lung disease.
But fast-growing evidence suggests dirty air can cause harm across the body.
Air pollution can cause all sorts of problems across the bodyShutterstock
In fact, the World Health Organisation estimates nearly seven million people die prematurely every year from a range of conditions triggered by poor air.
Last week a global study published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal that looked at data across two decades and 100 countries even showed a link between rising air pollution and increased antibiotic resistance.
Overuse of antibiotics has already led to the drugs becoming less effective and for resistant “superbugs” to emerge, leaving people vulnerable to infections which, according to the NHS, “can be serious and challenging to treat”.
The thinking is that tiny particles in air pollution called PM2.5 could carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria that humans then breathe in.
Professor Frank Kelly, chair in community health and policy, at Imperial College London, told Sun Health these ultra-fine particles cause damage in “nearly every organ in the body”:
He said: “Once these reach the lungs, they seep into the bloodstream and are transported to and cause havoc in other parts of the body.”
Isabel Shaw reveals what you need to know – and what you can do to protect yourself.
HEART
THE most common reason people die from air pollution is heart disease.
The British Heart Foundation estimates up to 11,000 heart and circulatory disease deaths in the UK are down to PM2.5 each year.
Heart disease is the most common cause of death linked to air pollutionGetty
Professor David Newby, cardiologist at the University of Edinburgh, says: “These tiny particles travel in the bloodstream and stop blood vessels relaxing and contracting, which increases the risk of clots, strokes and heart attacks.”
A study by America’s Penn State College of Medicine found air pollution raises the risk of heart arrhythmias (an abnormal heart rhythm), even in healthy teenagers.
Prof Newby says younger people with growing bodies – especially small children – are more at risk: “Not only are they closer to car exhausts, but their relative dose of air pollution is bigger due to their size, so they end up more exposed than adults.”
PANCREAS
PM2.5 is thought to be responsible for nearly 15,000 new cases of Type 2 diabetes in the UK every year, a study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health found.
Professor David Strain, cardiometabolic health expert at the University of Exeter, says air pollution can cause diabetes by triggering damaging inflammation in the body: “Your immunity tries to mop up the tiny particles it finds in the bloodstream as it would with a bug.”
The problem is, air pollution particles do not degrade the way bacteria and viruses do.
Prof Strain adds: “Instead, inflammatory air pollution remains in the blood vessels which leaves them narrower.
“This means the blood cannot transport insulin around the body properly, so the body produces more insulin which leads to diabetes.”
WOMB
ONE of the most concerning impacts of dirty air is it potential to affect unborn children.
A study by Queen’s University London found pollutants in placentas – the organ responsible for delivering nutrients to a foetus.
Pollutants have been found in placentas – the organ responsible for delivering nutrients to a foetusGetty
Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics at King’s College London, says particles “make the placenta sick” which can lead to a baby not feeding well and being smaller.
Air pollution had previously been linked to increased miscarriages, premature births and low birth weight.
He adds: “Although the baby might be smaller but seemingly okay, we do know there is a relationship between growth and other wellbeing factors, such as intelligence and health in later life.”
BRAIN
RESEARCHERS at the University of California San Diego found air pollution significantly increases the risk of dementia.
Particulate matter PM2.5 accelerates the onset of the debilitating condition by decades.
Air pollution could accelerate the onset of dementia by decadesGetty
PM2.5 is too small for the eye to see or for the nose to filter, and can come from traffic emissions, gas stoves and mould.
It damages the brain, but experts are not yet sure how.
Dr Gill Livingston, a psychiatrist at University College London, says: “One theory behind this link is that fine particulate matter is causing a build-up of abnormal proteins in the brain.”
These deposits can kill off cells, making it hard for the brain to work properly, increasing the risk of dementia and other cognitive issues.
A French study, published in the Alzheimer’s And Dementia Journal, found a reduction in exposure to air pollution led to 15 per cent fewer dementia cases among a test population.
LUNGS
AIR pollution exposure in early life can affect normal lung development.
Professor Stephen Holgate, respiratory disease expert at the University of Southampton, says: “Children exposed to high levels will have weaker lungs, leaving them susceptible to infections such as pneumonia, conditions such as asthma, and later in life, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.”
One in every ten cases of lung cancer in the UK is linked to dirty airGetty
Tragic Ella Kissi-Debrah was the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of deathPA
Ella Kissi-Debrah was the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death.
In 2013, the nine-year-old died from a form of asthma, brought on and exacerbated by exposure to air pollution.
Her mum Rosamund tells Sun Health: “It was like she was slowly poisoned and suffocated by the air she breathed.
“Her attacks were so bad she would scream for me and say, ‘Mum, I think I’m going to die’.
“No family – and especially no child – should have to go through what we went through.”
Dirty air is linked to one in every ten cases of lung cancer here, with smoking the chief culprit.
Professor Charles Swanton, of Cancer Research UK, said: “The risk of lung cancer from air pollution may be lower than the risk of smoking, but around the world more people are exposed to air pollution which is completely out of their control.”
PROTECT YOURSELF
THERE are steps you can take to protect yourself from pollution inside and outside.
Emma Rubach, head of health advice at charity Asthma + Lung UK, says: “The problem with dangerous air pollution is that we can’t see it.”
OUTDOORS
Keep track of pollution levels on Defra’s website (uk-air.defra.gov.uk/forecasting) and close your windows if the level is high.
Take all your medicines as prescribed.
When exercising, take routes and choose areas that are free from or lighter on traffic.
Walk on the farthest side of the pavement so you are as far away from traffic as possible – make sure your children do the same.
If walking or cycling to work, leave slightly earlier to later to avoid the rush hour.
Keep car windows closed while driving
INDOORS
Don’t smoke indoors.
Keep your home warm and well ventilated.
Use allergy-friendly or chemical-free products.
If you are renting, your GP can write a letter to your landlord if they believe the home you are living in is a danger to health.