More than 160,000 people could die over the next decade from strokes and heart attacks caused by air pollution, a charity has warned.
This is the equivalent of more than 40 heart and circulatory disease deaths related to air pollution every day.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF), which compiled the figures, said there are an estimated 11,000 deaths per year and expect this figure to rise in the future.
It wants the UK to adopt World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on air pollution and meet them by 2030.
Current EU limits, which the UK comfortably meets, for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution are 25 micrograms per metre cubed as an annual average.
WHO limits are 10 micrograms per metre cubed.
The BHF said PM2.5 can have a “seriously detrimental effect to heart health”, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke and making existing health problems worse.
Jacob West, executive director of healthcare innovation at the BHF, said: “Every day, millions of us are inhaling toxic particles which enter our blood and get stuck in our organs, raising our risk of heart attacks and stroke
“Our toxic air is a public health emergency and we haven’t done enough to tackle this threat.
“We need to ensure that stricter, health-based air quality guidelines are adopted into law to protect the health of the nation as a matter of urgency.
“Decision-makers across the country owe it to future generations.”
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “We know the impact air pollution has on communities around the UK, which is why the Government is stepping up the pace and taking urgent action to improve air quality.”
The top five most polluted streets in Scotland in 2018, from figures by environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth were Hope Street in Glasgow, Queensferry Road, Nicolson Street and St John’s Road, all in Edinburgh and Seagate in Dundee.
