Air pollution killing one a week in North Ayrshire

North Ayrshire compares favourably in comparison to some local authorities in 15th place out of 32 with 50 deaths per annum compared to Glasgow and Edinburgh with a shocking 306 and 205 deaths per annum respectively.

According to the FoES figures derived from a study done by Public Health England, air Pollution has been linked to 2,094 deaths every year in regions across Scotland, with a total of nearly 22,500 life-years lost.

FoES say the figures confirm that air pollution is the leading environmental health risk in Scotland, with nearly ten times more people dying from exposure to air pollution than from obesity.

Emilia Hanna, Air Pollution Campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “For the first time ever, we have figures on how air pollution is taking its toll on people in each local council area in Scotland.

“These figures confirm that ten times the number of people are killed off by air pollution as die in road traffic accidents, and air pollution is Scotland’s biggest environmental health threat.

“Stopping air pollution needs to jump to the top of the government’s health and transport priorities.

“Scotland has air quality standards in place which are designed to keep us safe, but we have been failing to meet these targets for years.

“We need to see cleaner streets with less traffic congestion, more people walking and cycling to work and improved public transport.

"If we lived in cleaner cities where the air was safe to breathe these would be more pleasant places for us to spend time in, and we would live longer, healthier lives.

“Traffic fumes in our urban areas are the main source of air pollution.

"The elderly and those with pre-existing heart and lung problems are most at risk.” Public Health England’s findings relate to one key pollutant called ‘fine particles’ or ‘PM2.5s’.

These particles can travel deep into the lungs, cross into the bloodstream and cause heart and lung diseases, cancers, aggravate asthma and increase chances of premature death.

Globally, air pollution is responsible for seven million deaths each year.

Currently, PM2.5 is only monitored at five locations across Scotland.

In March this year, the Government announced plans to introduce more monitoring of this key pollutant and a new legal Standard for PM2.5s.

Earlier this year, the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the United Kingdom for its failure to cut excessive levels of Nitrogen Dioxide at several locations across the United Kingdom including Glasgow.

A spokesperson for North Ayrshire council commented: “The figures quoted by FoE Scotland last week were taken from a report published by Public Health England (PHE) which provided values for all local authority areas in the UK.

“The report gives details of particulate levels in the atmosphere and estimates the burden of added deaths linked to long-term exposure to these.

“PHE stresses that the figures provided are all estimates based on a simplified representation.

"Health Protection Scotland states that these have to be interpreted with caution.

“Notwithstanding the above, North Ayrshire Council continues to monitor local air quality and works in partnership with Strathclyde Partnership for Travel and local transport operators to monitor air pollution for the benefit of its communities.” The league table of deaths thought to be due to air pollution in Scotland is as follows: Glasgow City: 306 Edinburgh City: 205 Fife: 146 North Lanarkshire: 142 South Lanarkshire: 134 Aberdeen City: 86 Renfrewshire: 77 Aberdeenshire: 70 Dundee City: 69 Falkirk: 65 Dumfries & Galloway: 60 West Lothian: 59 Highland: 57 Perth & Kinross: 52 North Ayrshire: 50 South Ayrshire: 47 East Ayrshire: 45 Scottish Borders: 44 Angus: 42 East Lothian: 40 West Dunbartonshire: 39 East Dunbartonshire: 37 Midlothian: 34 East Renfrewshire: 33 Inverclyde: 32 Argyll & Bute: 29 Stirling: 29 Moray: 25 Clackmannanshire: 18 Western Isles: 8 Orkney Islands: 6 Shetland Islands: 6