Air pollution in the West Midlands causes up to 2,300 premature deaths every year

Every resident in the West Midlands lives in an area that exceeds World Health Organization air quality guidelines and air pollution in the region causes up to 2,300 premature deaths every year, according to new research.

The study, published in Environmental Pollution, by researchers from the University of Birmingham in collaboration with local authority partners, looked at the economic health burden of air pollution on residents of the West Midlands Combined Authority geographical area.

The team at WM-Air – Clean Air Science for the West Midlands – developed a new air quality analysis tool and, using data from 2019, found that every ward in the WMCA area exceeded WHO safety levels for nitrogen dioxide (NO).₂) and particulate matter (PM_2.5), and the annual health charge included up to:

• 2,300 deaths,
• 4,200 asthma diagnoses,
• 1,400 diagnoses of coronary heart disease (CHD),
• 300 lung cancer diagnoses and
• 1,000 cases of stroke

The economic benefit of bringing air quality in the WMCA area to WHO health-based levels was also calculated using the tool, with a potential of £3.2 billion. of economic benefits for over 20 years.

Benefits include reduced demand for medical and social care, improved productivity; and preventing up to 12,000 deaths, 50,000 asthma, 15,000 CHD, 2,400 lung cancer and 10,000 stroke diagnoses. These financial calculations are based on new cases potentially related to air pollution and do not take into account existing cases of these diseases.

Dr Suzanne Bartington, Clinical Associate Professor in Environmental Health at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the study said:

“Air pollution is one of the biggest challenges facing public health and our data shows that every West Midlands resident lives in a ward where air quality does not meet WHO health guidelines. The effects for the region are significant, both in terms of poorer health outcomes for residents and the added burden on our health services.

“Our new Lifetime Air Quality Assessment tool has allowed us to put hard numbers to these impacts, showing us that more than 2,000 people die prematurely each year from air pollution across the region.”

Dr James Hall, health economist at the Institute of Applied Health Research at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the paper said:

“The results show some of the many benefits associated with tackling nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in the region, including a potential £3.2bn of health-related economic benefits, including to the health system, the wider economy and the public through reduced rates of bronchial asthma. , lung cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease and mortality.

“We also know that there is a potential link between air pollution and increased risk of developing other major chronic diseases, including COPD and types of dementia, so the impact is likely to be even greater.”

Roy Harrison, professor of environmental health at the University of Birmingham and co-author of the study, said: “These data provide an important basis for the health impact of air pollution in the West Midlands region. Compared to 2019, we know there have been some improvements in air quality and will have reduced the attributable health burden of the region.

“Initiatives such as the Clean Air Zone introduced in 2021 have had an impact on the amount of NO₂ pollution in the city center, which is a relatively small geographical area. Across the region, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter pollution is still a significant problem that we urgently need to address.”

The study was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).