Air pollution and human health in Greater Manchester

The background to air pollution control in Manchester and the resultingfalling pollution concentrations and consequent damage to health are described, and an analysis is made of the statistical relationships between mortality and air pollution in Greater Manchester. Other work has always showsn significant relationships between smoke and sulphur dioxide concentrations [above World Health Organisation (WHO) goals] and mortality from pollution-related diseases. Social factors (for example, overcrowding, owner-occupation) have often been found to be weakly related to mortality. This research reports no significant correlations between mortality and current smoke concentrations (which have mostly fallen below the WHO goal), weak correlations with sulphur dioxide levels, and fairly strong correlations with a number of social factors. The WHO goal therefore appears appropriate for smoke, and the results (including estimates of excess deaths) indicate that sulphur dioxide levels need to be reduced further. Social parameters are thought to be acting as proxies for causal factors (for example, smoking, diet).