Smoke gets in your eyes at the Discovery Hub: Breathe

The negative effects of PM and nitrogen dioxide on human health are well known, and a recent study estimated this type of pollution is responsible for 8 million excess deaths a year globally*. While the highest levels of toxic air pollution can be found in cities in India and China, many areas of London frequently exceed World Health Organisation guideline limits.

In 2020, for the first time in the UK, air pollution was officially recorded as a cause of death in the case of Ella Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year-old girl. Ella died from a combination of acute respiratory failure, severe asthma and exposure to air pollution, having grown up by a busy road in South London. Around 4,000 people die each year in London as a result of air pollution.

Once PM enters the bloodstream, via the lungs, they can potentially harm any organ in the body, including the eyes. Eye disease and sight loss, while not usually life-threatening, can have a devastating effect on quality of life. Our research shows that tackling air pollution could help to reduce the burden of long-term eye disease for patients. It could also help the NHS, where outpatient visits for ophthalmology (eye care) are higher than for any other area of medicine.