Schools, hospitals and care homes should not be built near main roads to reduce the tens of thousands of deaths being caused by the “invisible killer” of air pollution, a committee of MPs has warned.
The Commons environmental audit committee recommends diesel engines be scrapped over time and existing schools close to busy roads be fitted with air-filtration systems to avoid the minute particles and toxic gases emitted from vehicles.
“Air pollution is an invisible killer and a public health imperative. It is unacceptable that a whole generation of people … could have their health seriously impaired by air pollution above EU limits before government brings this public health problem under control,” the MPs say.
The official UK death toll for air pollution is about 29,000 people a year but this does not take into account levels of NO2 gas mainly emitted by diesel engines. An official government scientific advisory body will state shortly that this could add a further 30,000 deaths a year, said Joan Walley, chair of the committee. “New figures suggest air pollution could be killing almost the same number of people as smoking in the UK, yet government seems unwilling to put saving lives before economic growth”, she said.
“Children growing up near busy roads with high NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and particle emissions have stunted and impaired lung development. Over 1,000 schools are only 150 metres away from major roads. Protecting children and vulnerable people in the worst affected areas must be made a priority.”
She urged ministers to pluck up the political courage to take “potentially unpopular” decisions necessary to get the most polluting vehicles off the roads and encourage more people to walk, cycle or take public transport.
The report urges the government to change the tax system, which has favoured diesel vehicles over petrol as a way to hold down CO2 climate-change emissions. According to evidence given to the committee, diesel vehicles produce 22 times as much particulate matter and four times as much NOx – the generic term for nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide – as petrol vehicles.
