London Assembly Reports 4000 deaths per year due to Air Pollution

Up to nine per cent of deaths in the capital’s most polluted areas are attributable to air pollution, a new paper from the London Assembly reveals.

The percentage of deaths attributable to man-made airborne particles was highest in the City of London (9 per cent), Westminster (8.3 per cent), Kensington and Chelsea (8.3 per cent) and Tower Hamlets (8.1 per cent).  Bromley and Havering (both 6.3 per cent) had the lowest proportion in London, though are still above the England average of 5.6 percent.


The Assembly’s Health and Environment Committee's paper highlights the long-term health impact of toxic pollutants, which have been linked to life-shortening lung and heart conditions, breast cancer and diabetes.  It is estimated there are over 4,000 extra deaths each year in London from particulates and health costs are estimated at up to £20 billion a year – twice the cost of obesity.

Read More