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 …