Walking and cycling ‘good for health even in polluted areas’

Air pollution should not deter people from walking and cycling to improve their health, according to a new study.

The research from the University of Cambridge has indicated that health benefits of walking and cycling outweigh the negative effects on health of air pollution, even in cities where the latter is a significant problem.

A team of researchers used computer simulations to compare the risks and benefits for different levels of intensity and duration of active travel and of air pollution in different locations around the world, using information from epidemiological studies and meta-analyses.

It was shown that in practical terms, air pollution risks would not negate the health benefits of active travel in the vast majority of urban areas worldwide, due to the positive impact such activities can have on reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Only one percent of cities in the World Health Organization's Ambient Air Pollution Database were shown to have pollution levels high enough that the risks might start to overcome the benefits of physical activity after half an hour of cycling every day.

Dr Marko Tainio from the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge said: "We should remember, though, that a small minority of workers in the most polluted cities, such as bike messengers, may be exposed to levels of air pollution high enough to cancel out the health benefits of physical activity."