The main pollutants and their effects on health

In 2000, COMEAP published advice on the health effects of air pollutants. This covers the effects of air pollution due to short-term changes in levels of ai rpollutants and the effects of long-term exposure to air pollution. You can read details on the specific pollutants by clicking on the links below

Read more about the specific pollutants:

• Sulphur dioxide (SO₂)
• Oxides of nitrogen (specifically NO₂)
• Ozone
• Carbon monoxide
• Particles e.g. PM_2.5 and PM₁₀
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) e.g. benzene, 1,3-butadiene
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) e.g. benzo-a-pyrene 
• Metals e.g. lead, arsenic, nickel, mercury·
• Environmental tobacco smoke

The UK Air Quality Strategy, there are health-based standards for most of these pollutants (SO₂, NO₂, ozone, CO, PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, PAHs, lead) in our air. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for meeting these standards within a specified timescale. Monitoring of these air pollutants takes place via a network of monitoring sites across the UK. Read more·about monitoring of air pollutants

Reports on some of these pollutants, written by the former Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS) can be found on the Defra website (EPAQS has now merged with COMEAP to form COMEAP's Standards Advisory Subgroup). COMEAP, and its’ predecessor the Medical Advisory Group on Air Pollution Episodes (MAAPE), have also produced reports on individual pollutants, COMEAP reports can found on the Reports page and MAPPE reports can be found in the Archive.

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