UK citizens ‘largely oblivious’ to deadly impact of indoor air pollution

Veolia suggests despite poor indoor air quality potentially contributes to 20,000 premature deaths in the UK each year

More than 70% of people in the UK are oblivious to the deadly impact of indoor air pollution.

That’s according to new research commissioned by Veolia, which suggests despite poor indoor air quality potentially contributing to 20,000 premature deaths in the UK each year, 31% of Brits say they have never heard about the subject before.

While, 73% said they believe the government should develop indoor air quality guidelines for all public buildings, 55% also noted they aren’t concerned about indoor air quality and its affects on their health.

Veolia suggests the lack of air quality monitoring in buildings, combined by limited public awareness, will have “devastating consequences” on health if action is not taken.

The company notes air pollution can become trapped inside a building and as a result can prove even more harmful than outside, where it usually originates from.

It claims the UK’s indoor air quality regulatory guidance should be aligned to that of the World Health Organisation’s – it stresses out of the hundreds of buildings it has audited, more than 80% have required some corrective action to reduce harmful pollution.

Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Veolia UK & Ireland said: “We can smell car fumes and sometimes we see dust levels outside but little is known about invisible indoor air pollution and its potential health effects – thought to be eight times more dangerous than outdoor conditions.”

Latest Podcast