FOI - Effect of air pollution on health [May 2023]

Your request

In the booklet referring to air pollution and the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), the Mayor makes statements such as, ‘thousands of Londoners dying prematurely each year, children growing up with stunted lungs and a higher risk of dementia in older people.’ Further, ‘the greatest number of premature deaths due to toxic air are in the outer London areas.’ 

Please send copies of all relevant scientific and medical reports, etc on which these statements are based. Also confirm whether or not, as reported, cameras or camera parts were ordered prior to the results of the public consultation being received.

Our response

This information is publicly available.

Studies have long shown the many adverse health issues associated with elevated pollution levels. A 2022 authoritative evidence review continued to show the health impacts of traffic pollution, especially asthma in both children and adults.

Previous analysis has shown that London’s air pollution was estimated to lead to around 700 asthma hospital admissions from 2017 to 2019 in children in London, 7 per cent of all asthma admissions in children in London, and to around 900 asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admissions from 2017 to 2019 in the elderly in London.

The growing health evidence now links air pollution to dementia, shows how air pollution causes lung cancer in non-smokers and found particulate air pollution in unborn babies.

For further details please see the following links:

1. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Selected Health Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution
2. Health Impact Assessment of Air Pollution on Asthma in London
3. Air pollution: cognitive decline and dementia
4. Cancer rules rewritten by air-pollution discovery
5. Maternal exposure to ambient black carbon particles

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 greatest number of these deaths were in outer London boroughs, mainly due to the higher proportion of elderly people in these areas who are more vulnerable to the 
impacts of air pollution.

Regarding the ULEZ cameras, Transport for London (TfL) is the Mayor’s transport authority and is responsible for implementing the Mayor's Transport Strategy, and for the design, 
procurement, delivery and operational running of road user charging schemes such as the 
ULEZ.

TfL has recently responded to a similar request and its response is published on its website.

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting 
reference MGLA100523-6899.