Traffic-related air pollution and perceived health risk: Lay assessment of an everyday hazard

Abstract

This article examines the perceived risks to health from traffic-related air pollution among residents of four neighbourhoods in a borough of north London. Drawing on interview and survey data, the first part of the discussion presents views on possible health effects in general terms, and perceived effects on respondents themselves and their families. Respiratory and allergic conditions were found to feature most consistently, while increased heart morbidity was associated with greater uncertainty. The article goes on to reflect on the epistemological processes underlying these beliefs, concluding that although these lay beliefs largely parallel current scientific understanding, there is an inherent tension between epistemological loyalties that will be important for those working with environmental health risks to understand.

Keywords:

• Risk
• lay knowledge
• lay epidemiology
• air pollution
• health
• environment

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the UK Economic and Social Research Council, award ref. R42200034102. The author would also like to thank the people of Barnet who participated in the research, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments.

Notes

1 Now defunct, although this website still operates: SIEPH's Environmental Research Group joined the School of Health and Life Sciences at King's College London.

2 Names of interviewees have been changed.

3 Interview and survey respondents identified traffic as the chief source of air pollution locally and in London generally.