A new report from the British Lung Foundation (BLF) and Asthma UK says that about six million people aged over 65 in England are at high risk of health issues such as lung damage and asthma attacks.
The culprit?
Toxic air.
The report finds that older people, those with lung disease, and the most vulnerable to the effects of pollution are often the most exposed to toxic air.
Air quality is an area that we’re particularly passionate here at Vindico. It’s also the reason why we created our Think Air initiative.
Led by our Head of R&D, Paul Lewis, Think Air is helping to provide a more accurate picture of background air pollution levels. This, in turn, helps make local air pollution-reducing initiatives more achievable.
“This latest report on toxic air is further evidence of the impacts of particulates on the health of more vulnerable people in society,” says Paul Lewis.
“It reinforces the need to revise PM2.5 limit values and targets as soon as possible. It’s alarming when you see the figures for care homes, GP practices, and hospitals. The potential exposure of the elderly and patients to PM2.5 levels above the limits recommended by the WHO is also alarming.
“I echo Professor Alistair Lewis’ comments. The PM2.5 that we breathe might often come from many miles away. This is one reason why we can’t rely solely on modelled data. There needs to be widespread monitoring of this pollutant to get a full understanding of where it comes from and the harm it causes.”
And that’s exactly what we’re hoping to achieve with Think Air. It’s already on track to being the largest live Air Quality sensor network in Wales. We’ve also started to expand to counties across the border in England, too.
Think Air is changing the way we measure, monitor, raise awareness of air quality. It’s also driving positive change, which, in the wake of this new report exposing the impact of toxic air on our health, it’s more essential than ever.
You can find out more about Think Air and our commitment to better air quality here.
