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Last updated
July 26, 2025

Asthma

Air pollution and asthma reveals a devastating global health crisis affecting millions of people worldwide. Research shows that for every 10 μg/m³ increment in PM2.5, the risk of childhood and adult asthma increases by 21.4%, with nearly a third of all global asthma cases attributable to long-term particulate matter exposure. In the UK alone, 10% of adults have asthma and every 10 seconds someone suffers a potentially fatal asthma attack, with GP visits for asthma increasing by 45% in a single year as 99% of the population breathes "toxic air." Discover the compelling evidence linking air quality to this most widespread chronic respiratory condition and what protective measures can reduce exposure risks.
  • 10% of adults in the UK have asthma, and every 10 seconds someone suffers a potentially fatal asthma attack (Church & Watson, 2024)
  • For every 10 μg/m³ increment in PM2.5, the risk of childhood and adult asthma increases by 21.4% (Day, 2024)
  • We estimate that globally in 2019, almost a third of asthma cases are attributable to long-term PM2.5 exposure (Day, 2024)
  • About ⅔ of people with asthma say that air pollution made their asthma worse (coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, breathlessness) - risk of asthma attack (Asthma+Lung UK, 2023)
  • Ozone is associated with worsening respiratory diseases including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ozone triggers asthma because it is very irritating to the lungs and airways. (AAFA, 2024)
  • Breathing in NO2 can cause someone to develop asthma, and worsen lung disease, especially asthma  (AAFA, 2024)
  • SO2 can harm lungs and health (AAFA, 2024)
  • Most at risk - people who already have lung disease (asthma) or heart disease, children, seniors, those who work outside, athletes, lower income communities, pregnant women, people who live near polluted areas. (AAFA, 2024)
  • In a study of ten European cities, 14% of the cases of incident asthma in children and 15% of all exacerbations of childhood asthma were attributed to exposure to pollutants related to road traffic. (Guarnieri & Balmes, 2015)
  • Air pollutants might cause oxidative injury to the airways that leads to inflammation and remodelling, which in a genetically predisposed individual could result in clinical asthma
  • Short term exposure to PM 2.5–10 μm has  been associated with asthma symptoms, especially in children with allergic sensitisation (Guarnieri & Balmes, 2015)
  • Long term exposure - poorly controlled asthma and decrements in lung function in children and adults (Guarnieri & Balmes, 2015)
  • Asthma Study in Scotland: Personal exposure to air pollution can be significantly modified via behavior changes (McCarron et al., 2024)
    • Theory of Planned Behavior: predicts and explains intention and behavior based on three constructs: subjective norms, attitudes and perceived control
    • “Home as a safe space” concept where people adapt behavior (shut windows) to combat pollution from the outdoor environment (AKA home halo effect)
    • Natural areas served as comforting spaces, and study participants discussed desire to move away from the pollution
    • Noted inaccessibility of air pollution research due to jargon/unsureness of where to get reliable info
    • Need to encourage strategies that enhance perceived personal control/agency and engagement with accurate air quality information
  • Asthma and Lung UK found air pollution had triggered potentially life-threatening asthma attacks or serious flare-ups of illness in one in five people with lung conditions (Gregory, 2025)
  • Number of patients in the UK being treated by GPs for asthma has increased by 45% in a year (Gregory, 2025)
    • 99% of the UK population found to be breathing “toxic air”
    • Rate of asthma attacks in 2025 has consistently been above the 5-year national average
    • About 1 in 10 children in the UK have asthma
    • Children’s GP visits for asthma have increased, especially because they breathe in more air than adults
  • Air pollution can cause or exacerbate conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer (Stebbing, 2025)
  • Most widespread global chronic respiratory condition (McCarron et al., 2024)
  • PM2.5, can penetrate deep into our lungs and even enter our bloodstream. This exposure has been linked to a wide range of serious health problems, including respiratory diseases. (Stebbing, 2025)
  • Previous studies have indicated that fine particles can be virus carriers and facilitate their inhalation into the body (Wang et al., 2025)

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