WHO report: Air in 44 British cities too dangerous

CAIRO – 31 October 2017: A UN World Health Organization (WHO) report warned that millions of people living in Britain’s cities are exposed to air that is too dangerous to breathe.

The report says 44 out of 51 British cities and towns listed in an air quality database did not pass the WHO test on harmful particulate concentrations in the air, where the particles in the air surpassed in size 2.5 macrons.

The level of exposure to fine particles known as PM2.5s should not exceed 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air, WHO says, although the yearly average of exposure surpasses this limit in many British cities.

Glasgow, London, Leeds, Cardiff, Birmingham and Manchester are some of the most polluted cities in Britain, according to the report.

Air pollution is the contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that changes the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution.

Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution causes respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal, according to the report.