Air pollution

Air pollution is harmful to your heart and circulatory system. 
Wherever you live, there are simple steps you can take to stay as healthy as possible.

Jump straight to:

• What is air pollution?
• How can air pollution increase my risk of heart and circulatory diseases?
• Can the amount of pollution in the air and the risk to my health change?
• How can I check the air pollution levels near me?
• How can I reduce the amount of air pollution I breathe in?
• How can I improve the air quality in my home?
• Is it safe to exercise outside in polluted air?
• How can I help to reduce air pollution levels?

What is air pollution?

Air pollution is the name given to things in the air that can harm your health if you breathe them in. They are gases or small particles (also known at particulate matter, or PM). 

The most common harmful air pollutants are: 

• gases such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide
• particles such as soot and dust.

Polluted air is caused by:

• diesel and petrol vehicles
• fumes from factories and power plants
• farming (from fertilisers and animal manure)
• burning firewood, candles or incense indoors
• smoking cigarettes indoors.

But air pollution can come from natural sources too, like:

• soil
• pollen
• volcanoes
• sandstorms.

How can air pollution increase my risk of heart and circulatory diseases?

When you breathe in poor quality air, the air pollutants can travel deep into your bloodstream through your lungs, and to your heart. This can increase your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases. 

Air pollutants can: 

• Damage your blood vessels by making them narrower and harder. This can:
  • make it more difficult for your blood to flow freely
  • make your blood more likely to clot
  • increase your blood pressure because your heart is pumping faster to move the blood that can’t flow properly
  • increase the strain on your heart muscle by working harder than it should.
• Affect your heart’s electrical system which controls your heartbeat. This can:
  • cause abnormal heart rhythms.
• Potentially cause small changes to the structure of your heart. This can:
  • be similar to changes seen in the early stages of heart failure.

For people with existing heart and circulatory conditions, this damage can increased their risk of events like a heart attack or stroke.

Can the amount of pollution in the air and the risk to my health change?

Air pollution levels rise and fall depending on how built up an area is, the time of day and the weather. The advice about how to reduce your risk of developing health problems changes depending on the level of air pollution. 

The UK government’s air pollutions levels are:

How can I check the air pollution levels near me?

It is important to regularly check the air pollution level for your area. If the level is high or very high, it can increase your risk of feeling unwell and developing health problems. 

To check the level of air pollution near you, you can:

• Visit the UK government’s Defra Air Website to see a daily pollution forecast.
• Check your local air quality website for regional updates:
  • London
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
• Check weather apps if you have a mobile phone or another device – most weather apps show a daily pollution forecast.

How can I reduce the amount of air pollution I breathe in?

There are lots of easy things you can do around your routine to reduce your exposure to air pollution: 

• Whenever you can, walk or cycle instead of driving a vehicle or using public transport. This is because air quality is poorer in vehicles.
• When you’re walking or cycling, try to find routes away from busy roads or use cycling paths.
• If you're in areas that could have poorer air quality (like cities and towns), try to reduce the amount of time you spend outside during ‘rush hour’ (the busiest times of day to travel). You could try getting to work or the school drop-off a little earlier and avoid the traffic.
• Some research has suggested that eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables could help to protect you from the negative impacts of air pollution. 

Some people choose to wear a facemask but there is little evidence to say if they can protect you from air pollution. 

How can I improve the air quality in my home?

Poor air quality in your home can be harmful to your health, like polluted air outside. And many of us spend a lot of our time indoors. But there’s simple things you can do to improve the air quality in your home and reduce the impact on your health: 

• Use solid or liquid cleaning products rather than sprayable ones.
• If you can, cook and heat your home with electric or gas instead of burning wood or coal.
• Open your windows a few times a day to refresh the air in your rooms, especially when you’re cooking or showering.
• Clean your floors regularly to avoid dust and allergens building up and going into the air.
• Use extractor fans in your kitchen and bathroom, fix any leaks or water damage, and keep your home above 19c in the colder months if possible. These things can all help to prevent water condensation which can cause mould and bad bacteria building up in the air. 
• Don’t smoke indoors or allow others to smoke in your home. When you smoke indoors, it stays in the air. And toxins from breathing in second-hand smoke can harm the health of everyone you live with. If you smoke, taking steps to quit is the best thing you can do for your health. 

Is it safe to exercise outside in polluted air?

For most people, the benefits of being physically active outweigh the risks of breathing in polluted air. 

When you exercise, your heart works harder to pump more oxygen-rich blood around your body. This means you will breathe in more air. If you’re exercising outside, you might want to check the air pollution level in your area first: 

• If the air pollution level is low, you can carry on with your normal activities, even if you have a heart or circulatory condition. 
• If the air pollution level is moderate, high or very high, you should consider reducing the amount of exercise you do outdoors. 

Exercise is very good for your heart and circulatory system. It can also boost your mood and help you sleep better, and it can be fun too. If you can’t exercise outdoors, it’s important to be as active as you can indoors. 

How can I help to reduce air pollution levels?

We can all take small steps to make a big difference to air pollution. Try some of these suggestions to help improve air quality:

• Walk or cycle if possible or use public transport or car share. This can help to reduce the number of vehicles on the road releasing fumes and it’ll keep you physically active.
• If you’re thinking about buying a car, consider a petrol, hybrid or an electric car instead of a diesel car. Diesel engines produce more emissions than most other cars.
• If you have a vehicle, make sure it’s serviced regularly.
• Try to monitor how much electricity your household uses. You might want to consider using energy-efficient light bulbs in your home.

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Page last reviewed: March 2022
Next review due: March 2025