UK receives 'final warning' over air pollution

Dr. Gary Robertshaw
June 2010

The European Commission has threatened to take the UK to the European Court of Justice over unacceptable levels of air pollution. The pollution relates chiefly to levels of dangerous airborne particles, or PM10s, which exceeded EU limits in London.

The commission says high levels of PM10 can lead to serious health problems. Small enough to be inhaled, PM10s are emitted mainly by cars, factories and domestic heating systems. Breathing in these pollutants can lead to asthma, cardiovascular problems, lung cancer and premature death, said the commission.

"Air pollution is bad for our health. It reduces human life expectancy by more than eight months on average and by more than two years in the most polluted cities and regions," said the EU's environment commissioner Janez Potocnik.

The UK received its first warning in early 2009. In response, the government at the time tried to get a time extension for meeting the EU standards. However, the requested was rejected because the Commission felt that London did not have any realistic plans for reducing air pollution and would not be able to reduce pollution levels by the time the exemption period expired in 2011.

According to the charity Environmental Protection UK, some 35,000 people die from particle pollution in the country every year - and as many as 4,300 in London alone.