Fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5): setting targets
COMEAP advice note on the health evidence relevant to developing targets for fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) under the Environment Act (2021).
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The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) has provided advice on the health effects of exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), to inform the development of targets under the Environment Act 2021. Initial interim advice was provided in July 2020. Responses to questions regarding the relevant health evidence were provided to Defra in March 2021. A short update, following the publication in September 2021 of updated Air Quality Guidelines by the World Health Organization, was provided to Defra in February 2022. All of these advice notes are available on this page.
The Environment Act 2021 requires the government to set at least one long-term air-quality target, as well as a target for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These must be laid before Parliament by 31 October 2022. COMEAP and the Air Quality Expert Group are providing independent expert input to inform the development of targets to reduce both the annual average (mean) level of PM2.5 in ambient air and long term population exposures.
COMEAP’s advice includes that:
- a focus on reducing long-term average concentrations of PM2.5 is appropriate
- newer evidence indicates that PM2.5 pollution can have harmful effects on people’s health at lower concentrations than had been studied previously
- continuing to reduce concentrations to, or below, the World Health Organization’s new Air Quality Guideline (5 µg/m3) would benefit public health
- there is less evidence for benefits of reductions below this level, although the available studies have not indicated a threshold of effect below which there is no harm
- reducing exposure of the whole population would achieve the greatest overall public health benefit
- some individuals or groups are more at risk, but it might be difficult to reflect this in a national targets framework
- reducing air pollution to low levels is likely to be challenging and cost-benefit assessments may play a role in defining targets
- the health benefits of reducing other pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and ozone, should not be overlooked
COMEAP has also made recommendations to inform cost-benefit analyses that will be undertaken to support the development of the targets:
Updates to this page
Last updated 16 March 2022 + show all updates
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Added updated version of advice note.
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Added a more detailed summary of COMEAP advice note.
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First published.