EnviroHealth Podcast - Season 2, Episode 2: Dr. Gary Fuller on 'The Evolution of Air Pollution' - Part Two

Host Dr. Joseph Levermore continues his conversation with Dr. Gary Fuller, a clean air champion and senior lecturer in the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London. In this second part, they explore modern air pollution challenges, the devastating health impacts across our entire lifespan, and the surprising truth about wood burning as a supposed green alternative.

Topics Covered:

• Global air quality crisis in rapidly industrialising nations like Lahore and New Delhi
• How air pollution affects us from foetal development through to dementia in old age
• The myth of "safe thresholds" - why there's no harmless level of air pollution
• Children in East London developing smaller lungs due to pollution exposure
• The WHO's innovative fifth percentile approach to setting achievable guidelines
• Wood burning: why it's terrible for both air quality and climate goals
• Environmental injustice and inequality in air pollution exposure
• The landmark case of Ella Kissi-Debra and air pollution's role in her death
• Ultra Low Emission Zones: dramatic 44% reductions in central London pollution
• Why 70 years after the Great Smog, we still haven't solved air pollution

Key Insights:

• Just 8% of UK homes using solid fuel produce more particle pollution than all vehicles on the road
• Burning wood creates more carbon emissions than fossil fuels for the same amount of heat
• Air pollution disproportionately affects the poorest communities who own fewer cars but live near busy roads
• London's pre-ULEZ trajectory showed it would take 193 years to meet legal air quality limits

Quotes: "It seems absolutely ridiculous that we're going to save the planet by burning the trees. No, no we're not."

"Why on earth are you and I still working in this field of science when 70 odd years ago we knew it was harmful? Why haven't we solved this problem?"

Credits:

• Host: Dr. Joseph Levermore
• Co-host: Steve Campbell
• Guest: Dr. Gary Fuller (Imperial College London)
• Executive Producer: Neil Japtha
• Production: EnviroHealth Podcast

Resources: Dr. Gary Fuller's book: The Invisible Killer: The Rising Global Threat of Air Pollution and How We Fight Back

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© 2025 EnviroHealth Podcast. All rights reserved.

EnviroHealth Podcast - Season 2, Episode 1: Dr. Gary Fuller on 'The Evolution of Air Pollution' - Part One

Host Dr. Joseph Levermore speaks with Dr. Gary Fuller, a clean air champion and expert in air pollution from Imperial College London's Environmental Research Group. They discuss the fascinating history of air pollution from the deadly London smog of 1952 to current challenges and research.

Topics Covered:

• Dr. Fuller's unconventional career path from physics to air pollution research
• The Great London Smog of 1952 that claimed approximately 12,000 lives
• Historical perspectives on air pollution through art (Monet, Turner) and measurements
• Victorian London's PM2.5 levels (~200 μg/m³) compared to today's levels (~10-15 μg/m³)
• How smoke was once viewed as a symbol of prosperity and health
• The first air pollution measurement networks in the UK
• The importance of preserving historical air pollution data and samples

Quotes:

"Even though we look back on these times and say they were very polluted, we have to think about now and the health impact of air pollution still today that persists... just because we can't see it doesn't mean it's not there."

Credits:

• Host: Dr. Joseph Levermore
• Co-host: Steve Campbell
• Guest: Dr. Gary Fuller (Imperial College London)
• Executive Producer: Neil Japtha
• Production: EnviroHealth Podcast

Resources:

For more information about air pollution and its health impacts, visit here.

Connect with us:

Follow EnviroHealth Podcast on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Instagram and Spotify.

© 2025 EnviroHealth Podcast. All rights reserved.

EnviroHealth Shorts - Season 2 Episode 1: The Deadly London Smog of 1952 - Environmental Disaster That Changed Air Pollution History

In this environmental health short, Dr. Gary Fuller shares powerful firsthand accounts of the devastating London smog of 1952, including his own father's harrowing experience navigating through air pollution so thick people couldn't see their own feet. Learn how this catastrophic air pollution event killed thousands—estimates ranging from 4,000 to 12,000 victims—making it London's deadliest environmental disaster prior to COVID-19, surpassing both WWII bombing casualties and Victorian cholera outbreaks.

Air Pollution Topics Covered:

• The formation and deadly impact of the "pea souper" air pollution that descended on London December 5, 1952
• Personal stories of surviving through the impenetrable smog, including cinemas where screens were obscured by pollution
• Dr. Fuller's father's experience helping a lost lorry driver just 500 meters from his depot in hazardous air quality
• Comparison of historical air pollution portrayals (including The Crown's recreation) with the actual environmental health crisis
• How this air pollution disaster catalyzed changes in environmental health policy and air quality management
• Historical context of occupational exposures to air pollution, particularly asbestos, and their health impacts

Environmental Health Discussion Highlight: "It was a huge environmental disaster. But it set about a change in the way in which we recognize air pollution as being harmful to health, and the way in which we manage air quality."

For the full conversation exploring historical pollution levels, artistic depictions of air pollution, and the evolution of monitoring techniques, check out our complete environmental health episode with Dr. Fuller.

EnviroHealth Podcast Credits:

• Hosts: Dr. Joseph M. Levermore and Dr. Steven Campbell
• Environmental Health Expert: Dr. Gary Fuller (Imperial College London)
• Executive Producer: Neil Japhtha
• Production: EnviroHealth Podcast

Environmental Health Resources: For more information about air pollution and its health impacts, visit our environmental health resource page.

Connect with EnviroHealth Podcast: Follow EnviroHealth Podcast for more environmental health content on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Instagram and Spotify.

© 2025 EnviroHealth Podcast. All rights reserved.