Air, noise and light

What do we mean when we say air, noise and light?

The environmental quality of our neighbourhoods is important as proximity to areas of poorer air, noise and light quality are associated with greater deprivation. Our neighbourhoods should provide environments that are clean and reduce all kinds of pollution. This includes how clean air, quiet neighbourhoods and how much artificial light is present at night.

Poor air quality, both outdoors and indoors, is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK and therefore to our quality of life. Other pollutants such as light and sound pollution play an increasing role in the way our homes and neighbourhoods affect our mental and physical health and overall wellbeing. Proximity to areas of poorer air, noise and light quality are associated with greater deprivation, therefore creating healthier, less polluted communities is both an environmental, social and economical challenge.

How does this affect health and wellbeing?

Poor air quality has a big impact on public health, resulting in up to 36,000 deaths per year in the UK, with the largest source of this pollution coming from vehicle emissions.[21] The impact of noise pollution on human health is also increasingly being linked to negative outcomes including cardiovascular disorders and chronic sleep disorders.[22] Among older adults and children, noise pollution has also been associated with worse mental health outcomes, [23] in addition to being linked to higher anxiety levels among adults.[24] Access to quiet green spaces is a good antidote to noise pollution, with studies showing that covering sources of noise either acoustically or visually minimises its effect on people.[25]

Furthermore, lack of access to daylight internally has a number of negative health impacts that adversely affect an array of mental and physical variables from sleep and cognition to vision and mental health.[26] Studies draw particular attention to the ways in which light can trigger and affect circadian rhythms, which regulate essential bodily functions such as sleep and appetite.[27] The increased adoption of artificial lighting, particularly LEDs, has been associated with over-lighting and is a possible cause for disturbance in the form of light pollution.[28]

Case study

Health equity: Hackney Air Quality Action Plan, London

The Environment Audit Committee (EAC) reported that 30,000 people in the UK died prematurely from air pollution in 2008. Like other central London boroughs, Hackney is exceeding air quality limit targets, and as a deprived area, residents suffer a greater proportion of related illness. The Hackney Air Quality Action Plan is addressing this.