People of colour far likelier to live in England’s very high air pollution areas

Study finds minority ethnic people make up nearly half of populations in areas with very high NO₂ or PM2.5 levels

People of colour in England are more than three times more likely to live in neighbourhoods with very high air pollution, putting them at disproportionate risk of heart attacks, cancer and strokes, according to research.

Minority ethnic people make up nearly half the populations living in areas where average levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) or small particulate matter (PM2.5) were double World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, research based on official statistics showed.