Key information
Request reference number: MGLA250924-1673
Date of response:
Summary of request
Request:
1. The report mentions 4,000 premature deaths related to air quality. What is your definition of premature? What is the average number of life-days lost per casualty and what proportion of the whole would be identified
as -
a) heavy smokers
b) having an industrial respiratory disease
c) having some other form of cancer?
2. The report mentions concern about the long term effects of pollution. What measurements are available to compare the relative health of those who drive for a living in London such as bus drivers and taxi drivers both of which spend most of their working day in London, with the general London population?
3. What measures are being taken to contain nitrogen dioxide and particulates from sources other than transport?
Response:
See below for the information the GLA holds within the scope of your request.
- In 2021, the GLA commissioned research from the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London to quantify the health burden of air pollution in London. This research found that in 2019, in Greater London, 61,800 to 70,200 life years lost (the equivalent of between 3,600 to 4,100 attributable deaths) were estimated to be attributable to anthropogenic fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), assuming health effects exist even at very low levels.
The full report is available on the GLA website, and includes a detailed description of the method and definitions of terms used: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-and-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/environment-publications/health-burden-air-pollution-london. The GLA does not hold data on medical histories of individuals or smoking status.
- The GLA recently published a report investigating in vehicle exposure to road transport air pollution. The study showed that exposure of drivers to traffic and road generated air pollution is often under estimated, particularly those for whom driving is a large component of their work. It also showed that exposure was much lower for modes of active travel, compared to driving. The full report can be found on the GLA website: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-09/In-vehicle%20exposure%20to%20traffic%20and%20road-generated%20air%20pollution.pdf.
While the GLA hasn’t carried out a direct comparison of the exposure of professional drivers to that of the general London population, the exposure of the general population is regularly assessed through the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory which provides data on population exposure. The data set can be found here: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-atmospheric-emissions-inventory--laei--2019. We have also published a review of the associated health impacts which can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-04/Imperial%20College%20London%20Projects%20-%20impacts%20of%20air%20pollution%20across%20the%20life%20course%20%E2%80%93%20evidence%20highlight%20note.pdf
- In addition to all the work carried out by the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) to reduce emissions from road transport, the Mayor is tackling pollution from other sources through measures such as:
- Launching the The Mayor’s school air quality audit programme to reduce emissions of and exposure to poor air quality. See the webpage for further information.
- Committing £2.7m to deliver air quality filters across 200 of London’s most polluted schools. See the press release for further information.
- Providing Boroughs funding through The Mayor’s Air Quality and Good Growth funds to deliver local interventions to reduce pollution and exposure to poor air quality. See the webpage for further information.
- Adopting world leading planning policy to reduce emissions from development and enforcing the Non-Road Mobile Machinery Low Emission Zone to significantly reduce emissions from construction. See this webpage for further information.
- The Mayor will continue working with the London Boroughs and national government to ensure that the necessary powers and resources are available to continue to tackle air pollution.