Air pollution is the name given to things in the air that can harm your health if you breathe them in. They are gases or small particles (also known as particulate matter, or PM).
Research funded by the BHF has shown how PM that is smaller than 2.5 micrometres, known as PM2.5, can damage the heart and circulatory system, increasing the risk of a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke.
Current air quality limits in Northern Ireland do not protect public health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), no level of exposure to PM2.5 is safe.
Everyone is at risk.
But they do recommend targets which could minimise the harm to our health.
We're calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to deliver the first Clean Air Strategy for Northern Ireland, with commitments to the World Health Organization’s guidelines to improve our air quality.
Working in partnership is important to us. We have been working closely with the Irish Heart Foundation on a project funded by the Community Foundation Ireland's All-island Community Fund.
The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the need for improved air quality in the UK and Ireland and for greater cross-border collaboration to tackle air pollution.
As part of this project, we commissioned a team of researchers from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and Technological University Dublin (TUD), to conduct research into air pollution and mortality on the island of Ireland.
Using data from 2019, their report estimates the number of premature deaths associated with PM2.5 air pollution exposure across the island of Ireland and estimates the number of lives that could be saved by meeting WHO 2021 Air Quality Guidelines.
Download our briefing document
We've been engaging with the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Northern Ireland on the need for action to improve air quality.
Pupils from Brooklands Primary School in Dundonald have been helping us to do that by sharing with MLAs what they learned when monitoring air pollution levels outside their school.
Watch the video below to see how the pupils are talking to their MLAs, calling for action on air pollution.
For information on how to reduce harm to your health, you can read about how to protect yourself from air pollution.
Currently, there are over 225,000 people battling with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Northern Ireland. Our local work and research is powered by your support. Every minute of your time and every donation will help make a difference to local people's lives.
Thanks to the fantastic generosity of our supporters we’ve invested over £4m in life saving research at Queens University, Belfast. Read about some of our projects.
Find out about BHF research, events & campaigning in Northern Ireland and how to get involved. Get contact details of our teams on the ground.
