Air pollution is driving health inequalities in the South, says new report

The report says poor air quality has wide ranging and long-term health impacts, contributes to deprivation, hampers productivity, and puts a strain on local health services. The report is launched today in Winchester by the Clean Air South network. It was compiled as part of the University of Southampton’s Civic impact role together with the University’s Sustainability and Resilience Institute, Wessex Health Partners, and local authorities.

Across the UK, long-term exposure to air pollution has an annual equivalent to 29,000 to 43,000 deaths for adults aged 30 and over, according to DEFRA.

Portsmouth City Council estimates that 6.2 per cent of deaths in 2022 in the city were attributable to long-term exposure to particulate air pollution, while research suggests cutting air pollution by one fifth in Southampton may result in 150 fewer children with low lung function each year.

“Those who contribute least to the problem are also the most exposed to it and the most vulnerable to its damaging effects,” says John Boswell, Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Southampton and coauthor of the report.

“Socially and economically disadvantaged groups are more likely to live near busy roads, have less access to green space, and live in densely populated areas, and are more likely to live in housing with inadequate ventilation and poor indoor air quality. But they are also the least likely to own a car or to travel as far for work, education and leisure.”

The region’s port cities of Southampton and Portsmouth are more polluted than rural areas, with 15 Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) between them, representing around half of those in the Central South region.

AQMAs are areas where national air quality objectives are not met, or unlikely to be met, and where local authorities must put a plan in place to improve air quality.

The report says progress is being made to improve air quality in the region. Between 2010 and 2020, Hampshire County Council revoked 14 AQMAs, and this year Fareham Borough Council revoked its two AQMAs.

But the report also points out that the UK’s air quality requirements are significantly less stringent than those recommended by the World Health Organisation, and recommends local authorities strive for these cleaner air targets.

“We know local authorities have a limited range of powers to improve air quality, but they are not powerless,” says Sue Littlemore, Director of Civic University at Southampton, who commissioned the report.

“They do have policy levers to manage traffic, control domestic burning, and provide public health information. There are several quick wins that can help to build the case for more fundamental changes, for example educating health professionals about the adverse effects of poor air quality, given evidence suggests nearly four in five are currently unaware.”

The report emphasises the need for collaborative action between national and local government departments, as well as with industry.

It points to successful work between the Environment Agency, New Forest District Council and Fawley Oil Refinery to improve air quality, as well as other national and international successes.

Prof William Rosenberg, Chair of Wessex Health Partners, says: “Many of the levers to drive meaningful change lie within the private sector. Evidence shows that productive collaboration among stakeholders is a key cornerstone for port cities like Southampton and Portsmouth.

“However, decades of public health research indicates that industry initiatives alone are rarely enough to address the negative externalities of their activities, and that national and local governments have an important role to play in driving standards, monitoring effectiveness and ensuring accountability.”

The report Clean Air South – An evidence-based exploration of air quality in the Central South and how we might improve it is available here.