§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the health costs of air pollution indicating the health problems of principal concern and the main source of the pollutants. [135392]
§ Yvette CooperThe Department's Committee on the Medical Effect of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) published a report in 1998 on 'Quantification of the Health Effects of Air Pollution on Health in the United Kingdom'. The report was based on levels of pollutants in 1995. It estimated that the deaths of between 12,000 and 24,000 vulnerable people (mainly those with heart or lung disease) may be brought forward and between 14,000 and 24,000 respiratory hospital admissions and readmissions may be associated with short term exposure to air pollution each year. There was insufficient information to allow quantification of other health effects of air pollution.
The main pollutants of concern were particles and ozone. Particle levels have decreased since 1995 but there is no clear downward trend for ozone. The main sources of particles are primary particles from combustion sources (mainly road traffic), secondary particles, mainly sulphate and nitrate formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere and coarse particles such as dust and biological particles. Ozone arises from chemical reactions of pollutants in the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight. The precursor pollutants include nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds form traffic and industry.
The Department's Ad-Hoc Group on the Economic Appraisal of the Health Effects of Air Pollution estimated that the average cost to the NHS of a respiratory hospital admission was about £1,3901.
1 For 1994–95 at 1996–97 prices.