Professor Brian Castellani, from our Department of Sociology, has made significant contributions to a new report identifying air pollution as a public health crisis.
The report, published by the Royal College of Physicians' (RCP), examines the effects of air pollution on health throughout a person's life.
Insights from the report
According to the report, around 30,000 deaths per year in the UK are estimated to be attributed to air pollution, with an economic cost of £27 billion in the UK due to healthcare costs, productivity losses and reduced quality of life.
When wider impacts such as dementia are accounted for, the economic cost may be as high as £50bn.
The report highlights new evidence from the past decade, showing that air pollution affects almost every organ in the body and the diseases that impact them.
Air pollution and brain health
As a member of the RCP's committee on the impact of air pollution on health, Professor Castellani's contributions to the report focus on the link between air pollution and brain health.
In the report, he emphasises the serious implications for early-life cognitive development and later-life neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, and cognitive frailty.
Additionally, highlighting that the mental health burden of air pollution includes not only an increase in diagnosed psychiatric disorders but also a general worsening of mental health.
Professor Castellani also states that vulnerable populations are experiencing poverty, inequality, and deprivation and are disproportionately affected.
He recommends that future air quality policies must recognise and mitigate the impact of air pollution on brain and mental health.
Recommendations from the report
The report sets out 19 recommendations aimed at national, regional and local governments across the UK, industry, regulators, the NHS, clinicians, and individuals in society.
Some of the report's key recommendations include:
- UK governments must recognise air pollution as a major health issue and take stronger actions to reduce exposure.
- Establish clear paths to meet the World Health Organization's 2021 air quality standards.
- Intensify efforts to address all pollution sources, including neglected areas.
- Consider the unequal impact of air pollution on different groups in policies.
- Launch a nationwide campaign to inform the public about air pollution and how to reduce exposure.
- Collaborate to create a comprehensive indoor air quality strategy.
- Regularly review and possibly tighten air quality limits and targets.
- Health professionals should educate patients about air pollution risks and advocate for cleaner air.
Under the leadership of Professor Stephen Holgate CBE, the RCP's special adviser on air quality, Professor Castellani is one of 30 clinical and academic experts to contribute to the report. The report also features a foreword by Professor Chris Whitty, the UK's chief medical officer.
