Friends of the Earth Air Pollution Campaigner, Jenny Bates, has commented on a European Heart Journal Study that shows high blood pressure can be caused by long-term particulate air pollution exposure.
Jenny Bates said:
“The evidence continues to mount about the impact of air pollution on people’s health and well-being. Crucially, this study shows that there are health risks, even when levels of fine particles of air pollution are below EU legal limits – and in fact the World Health Organisation say there is no known safe limit for this pollution.
“Air pollution leads to 40,000 early deaths in the UK every year. It causes lung cancer, contributes to respiratory disease including worsening of asthma, and to heart disease with this latest study linking it to high blood pressure.
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“Urgent action is needed to get dirty diesel vehicles off our roads, and to reduce road traffic. The UK government must be bold and put in place a plan to phase out diesel, support Clean Air Zones across the country and offer people real alternatives to driving, in order to save lives and improve health.”
