Pollution from traffic, planes and power stations ‘killing 13,000 Britons a year’
Power station emissions have bigger health impacts in northern England, where emissions from five major plants tend to congregate
Pollution from traffic, planes and power stations is killing almost 13,000 Britons a year, researchers claim.
The alarming death toll is more than four times greater than the number killed on the roads.
Emissions from car and lorry exhaust was the single greatest contributor to premature death, affecting some 3,300 people annually. In comparison fewer than 3,000 died in road accidents in the UK in 2005 – the latest data available.
After road transport, emissions from shipping and aviation cause 1,800 early deaths annually, followed by those from power plants which are responsible for 1,700.
The study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that emissions originating elsewhere in Europe cause an additional 6,000 early deaths in the UK annually.
In turn UK emissions cause 3,100 premature deaths a year in other EU countries.
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