Air pollution ages our lungs up to two years and increase our risk of a deadly lung disease, research suggests.
A study found exposure to pollutants in exhaust fumes and factory emissions is fuelling a rise in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is an incurable condition that occurs when the lungs become inflamed, damaged and narrowed.
Over time, patients can develop breathlessness, suffer frequent chest infections and even cough up blood. The study also found people on low incomes are more at risk than their wealthier counterparts even when their air pollution exposure is the same.
The UK researchers blame this on poor housing, limited access to healthcare and the lingering effects of air pollution exposure during childhood.
The research was carried out by Leicester University and led by Professor Anna Hansell, of the UK Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability.
'In one of the largest analyses to date we found outdoor air pollution exposure is directly linked to lower lung function and increased COPD prevalence. We found people exposed to higher levels of pollutants had lower lung function equivalent to at least a year of ageing. Worryingly, we found air pollution had much larger effects on people from lower income households,' she said.'
COPD describes a number of lung conditions. These include emphysema, which affects the air sacs, and chronic bronchitis, which impacts the airways.
Around 1.2million people in the UK are diagnosed with COPD, British Lung Foundation statistics show. This makes it the second most common lung disease after asthma. And in the US, 16million people suffer from COPD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It has been suggested pollutants cut the average Briton's life by six months, while also limiting the growth of a child's lungs.
But the more recent study - published in the European Respiratory Journal - suggests air pollution may be far more damaging than previously feared. Results revealed that for every annual average increase of five micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5 in the air, the reduction in lung function is similar to two years of ageing.
