Published 22 June 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2532
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b2532

News

Long term exposure to air pollution decreases life expectancy, UK report finds

Susan Mayor

1 London

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Long term exposure to air pollutants is associated with increased mortality, warns a major UK report published this week, which has also defined the most useful measure of air pollution in developing strategies to reduce adverse effects on health.

The new report follows up a 2001 review that looked at the long term effects of exposure to air pollutants on health, itself based on two major US studies. That review said that a causal relationship with mortality was "more likely than not" and that the studies’ findings were applicable in the UK.

Research in the field has progressed rapidly since its earlier review, so the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants—an expert committee that advises the UK government—decided it needed to review the latest evidence, including a European cohort study.

"We are left with little doubt that long-term exposure to air pollutants has an effect on mortality and . . . [Full text of this article]


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