A new landmark study led by Queen's University Belfast has estimated that air pollution causes more than 130 lung cancer cases annually in Northern Ireland.

The peer-reviewed research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, is the first nationally representative study to quantify the link. Researchers estimate that around 10 per cent of lung cancer cases in Northern Ireland—amounting to 137 cases each year—are due to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

The analysis, which involved linking the postcodes of over 900 lung cancer patients to historical air pollution maps, revealed significant variations in risk:

• People in the most polluted areas have a 37 per cent higher risk of lung cancer than those in the least polluted areas. • The excess risk is particularly acute for women, who show a 79 per cent higher risk at the highest exposure levels compared to women in the lowest.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Northern Ireland, with over 1,300 new diagnoses every year. While smoking remains the primary risk factor, the study underscores that air pollution is an "urgent and preventable cause of the disease".

Dr Dan Middleton, senior author and Lecturer and Cancer Epidemiologist at Queen's, stated that the findings should act as a "wake-up call" to policy makers, whose current efforts to tackle air pollution are "costing lives".

Major sources of pollution include vehicle emissions in highly car-dependent cities like Belfast, alongside the widespread use of home heating oil, coal, and solid fuels, particularly in rural areas. The authors urge the acceleration of investment in renewable energy and low-carbon public transport to reduce exposure and deliver climate benefits.