Traffic fumes and noise pollution linked to lethal high blood pressure, study shows
AIR pollution and traffic noise were exposed yesterday as causes of high blood pressure – the main risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke.
Air pollution and traffic noise were exposed as causes of high blood pressure
The largest ever study into the health issue also found people were at risk if exposed to air pollution within EU safety levels.
Professor Barbara Hoffmann at Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, who carried out the study, said: “Current legislation does not protect the European population adequately from adverse effects of air pollution.”
Writing in the European Heart Journal, she called for “more stringent air quality regulations”.
Air pollution has been linked to 40,000 premature deaths a year in Britain.
Last week environmental lawyers ClientEarth took the UK government back to the High Court for allegedly failing to deal with illegal levels of air pollution. The result has yet to be decided.
The latest study looked at 41,072 people in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Spain.
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Results found that, for every 100 adults living in polluted areas, one would develop high blood pressure compared with those in a less polluted area.
Current legislation does not protect the European population adequately
Scientists measured their exposure to tiny airborne particles, which are produced by car exhausts and tyre friction.
For every five micrograms per cubic metre of the smallest particles in the air, the risk of high blood pressure rose by a fifth in people in the most polluted areas compared with those in the least.
The EU limit for fine particle pollution is higher than the World Health Organisation’s guideline
Higher soot concentrations also increased the risk.
The current EU limit for fine particle pollution – 25 micrograms per cubic meter – is higher than the World Health Organisation’s guideline of just 10 micrograms.
The study also found people living on noisy streets with nighttime levels of 50 decibels had a six per cent increased risk of high blood pressure compared with quieter streets.
The British Heart Foundation said: “It shows people exposed to higher levels of vehicle-derived pollution are slightly more likely to have high blood pressure.”