Air pollution and public health: exploring sustainable behavioural changes to reduce exposures in Scotland

Air pollution is considered to be the world's largest environmental health risk, and in the UK alone air pollution is responsible for an estimated 40,000 premature deaths every year. There are also significant consequences for national economies due to reduced workforce productivity and healthcare costs. Changes to UK policy can have significant impacts on ambient air pollution, but are slow to implement. For example, the proposed ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars in the UK from 2040 will have a large impact on nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter (PM) concentrations, but there will be a lag period before significant changes to ambient air pollution is evident. Air pollution exposure reduction initiatives with more immediate impacts are needed to improve air pollution-related health in the shorter-term.

Personal exposure to air pollution varies substantially between individuals because there are large spatiotemporal variations in air pollution and people move through different spaces at different times, depending on factors including age, socio-economic status and gender. Consequently, individuals could reduce their exposure to air pollution by changing their behaviour, for example by changing the time of day that they undertake certain activities or by taking a different transport route. However, altering behaviour that affects air pollution is difficult because air pollution is near-invisible, behavioural change requires additional effort, time or cost, and frequently health problems related to air pollution only become apparent later in the life course. The overarching aim of this studentship is to investigate whether a health intervention using behavioural change techniques can reduce exposure to air pollution.