6% of deaths among those aged 30 and older in Barnet in 2023 were attributable to particulate air pollution reports Clara Margotin, Data Reporter

A black and white photo of towers emitting plumes of smoke — Across England, 5.2% of adult deaths were attributable to particulate air pollution in 2023 – (Credit – Radar)

More than one in 20 adult deaths in Barnet were caused by air pollution in 2023, new figures suggest.

An environmental organisation said growing evidence of the risks air pollution poses to health shows the Government must do more to protect people from dangerous pollutants.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs analyses the proportion of deaths among those aged 30 and older caused by air pollution, specifically by fine particle matter (PM2.5).

The figures show 6% of deaths among this cohort in Barnet in 2023 were attributable to particulate air pollution.

It was down from 7.2% the previous year and the lowest figures since records began in 2018.

Across England, 5.2% of adult deaths were attributable to particulate air pollution in 2023 – down from 5.8% the year before and also the lowest on record.

But there were notable geographical differences, as 7.4% of adult deaths were attributable to pollution in the City of London, compared to just 3.3% in the Isles of Scilly in the South West, for instance.

The Department of Health and Social Care says poor air quality is an important public health issue, as it can develop and worsen potentially fatal conditions – such as coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, lung cancer, and asthma.

Separate DEFRA figures show the average concentration of fine particulate matter stood at seven micrograms per cubic metre of air in England in 2023 – the smallest level registered since records began in 2018.

In Barnet, this figure stood at around 8.1 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

Jenny Bates, air pollution campaigner at Friends of the Earth, warned while air pollution has declined across England, further evidence shows “how dangerous it truly is to our health”.

She mentioned the World Health Organisation only halved its guideline for the most dangerous fine particulate pollution a few years ago, adding areas that were considered safe from hazardous air pollution levels until then may now be at risk.

She said: “This is exactly why better public awareness, although important, is not enough.

“It’s up to the government to mandate more action from the sectors most responsible, including carbon-intensive transport, woodburning and agriculture.

“Bringing the legal limits for key pollutants such as fine particle pollution into alignment with WHO guidelines would be a good place to start.”

Jane Burston, chief executive at the Clean Air Fund, welcomed the smaller proportion of deaths attributable to air pollution in England, saying it shows the effects of increasing clean air initiatives in urban areas across the country.

But she warned air pollution remains “the biggest environmental threat to our health”, adding it has a “disproportionate impact” on children and vulnerable people.

“We must continue to invest in a future where every child breathes clean air,” she said.

A government spokesperson welcomed the decrease in particulate air pollution in England, adding “significant progress” has been made to mitigate dangerous emissions.

But they warned “there is a lot more to do”, and said the government “will continue to take the action needed to ensure everyone has cleaner air to breathe”.

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