Although it's been suggested that air pollution is linked with lung cancer there is little evidence to support this.

The best evidence comes from studies which have shown that, in England and Wales, the risk of getting lung cancer is about one and a half times greater for people living in industrial areas compared to those living in the country.

However, when statisticians and epidemiologists (people who study the cause of disease) have looked more closely at the figures and made allowances for other factors such as differences in smoking habits and various social factors, the evidence that air pollution actually contributes to the risk of lung cancer is less clear. There are studies which show that people constantly exposed to very high levels of diesel exhaust fumes, over many years, have a slightly increased chance of developing a lung cancer.

Certainly when compared to cigarette smoking and lung cancer, the evidence for air pollution as a risk factor is minimal. Stopping smoking remains the most effective way of reducing the risk of lung cancer.