NHS Relief
Widespread particulate matter 2.5 pollution has significant monetary implications for the National Health Service. Public Health England created “Air pollution tool” (Gov.uk, 2018 (reference appendix 3)) to help “test the long term health and cost impacts of air pollution at a local authority level”.
The tool generates predicted costs and disease prevalence for the NHS, dealing specifically with disease exacerbated or caused by PM 2.5. As shown below, by 2030 the estimated cost to the NHS will amount to approximately £29,430,000 (£29.4 million), per 100,000, equating to £20,542,140,000 (£20.5 billion) per 69,800,000 (estimated population of the UK 2030) (Office for National Statistics, 2018 (reference appendix 4)) for diseases caused by or exacerbated by PM2.5.
Disease prevalence estimate –
The affects of PM2.5 are higher for runners as they are routinely breathing in air at an increased rate of respiration. By helping this group avoid exposure to PM2.5, disease prevalence and in turn estimated cost will be lowered, alleviating the NHS marginally.
Pollution awareness
By increasing air pollution awareness in members of the population, information regarding the topic will spread faster through the running community and into the knowledge of the general public, adding to the societal realisation of the scale of air pollution as a problem. Increasing awareness of the issue will aid in the acceleration of a solution or efforts to reduce the problem.