Is air pollution really the killer we think it is?

Ella Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year-old who died in February 2013 after suffering an asthma attack, is the first person in the UK to have air pollution cited on their death certificate. Two weeks ago, Ella’s mother finally settled her legal action against the government, which said it was ‘truly sorry’ for Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah’s loss and that it was committed to delivering an ‘ambitious clean air strategy’. Ella’s death has become a cause celebre among anti-car and anti-pollution activists. There is no doubt that Ella’s death was a terrible tragedy. But to blame air pollution alone – as some campaigners have done – for what happened risks ignoring the complexities of this case.

Living just 25 metres from the South Circular Road, in Lewisham, south London, Ella’s short life was blighted by exhaust fumes from road traffic. It is this pollution that is now cited as the culprit of her death. It has long been known that filthy air is bad for you, but the inquest ruling seemed to confirm the worst: that pollution kills.