A new study links pervasive air pollution directly to a reduction in intelligence, with experts saying that the average impact is equivalent to losing a years’ education. The recent death of Ella Kissi-Debrah was linked directly to air pollution, with Professor Stephen Holgate, a leading air expert having said on record: “there is a real prospect that without unlawful levels of air pollution Ella would not have died.”
Almost everyone is affected by air pollution - 95% of the global population breathes unsafe air. The consequences can be severe, with seven million people dying prematurely due to air pollution each year, and living near busy roads carrying an increased risk of dementia. The Guardian has reported on thousands of British children exposed to illegal levels of air pollution. UK government has ignored repeated calls from the high court to deal with unlawful air pollution levels, and is now being challenged over it in the Europe’s highest court.
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We want to hear from experts about the effects of air pollution on the public. Are you a doctor seeing a rise in air-pollution related illnesses or deaths? Or are you an academic or someone who works in the field of air pollution? Perhaps you’re a person with firsthand experience, who has had their health condition directly linked to air pollution?
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