A coroner has ruled that air pollution from traffic contributed to the death of nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah.
The historic ruling marks the first time that toxic air has been listed as a cause of death in the UK, according to her family’s solicitors.
Kissi-Debrah died in February 2013 having suffered an asthma attack.
She had endured numerous seizures and made almost 30 hospital visits over the previous three years.
An inquest ruling from 2014, which concluded she died of acute respiratory failure, was quashed by the High Court following new evidence about the dangerous levels of air pollution close to her home.
Kissi-Debrah had lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road in Lewisham, south-east London – one of the capital’s busiest roads.
A fresh two-week inquest was held at Southwark Coroner’s Court to consider whether pollution in the area may have contributed to her death.
Giving his narrative conclusion over almost an hour on Wednesday, assistant coroner Philip Barlow said: “I will conclude that Ella died of asthma, contributed to by exposure to excessive air pollution.”
Giving the medical cause of death he said: “I intend to record 1a) acute respiratory failure, 1b) severe asthma, 1c) air pollution exposure.”
Barlow added: “Air pollution was a significant contributory factor to both the induction and exacerbations of her asthma.
“During the course of her illness between 2010 and 2013 she was exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in excess of World Health Organisation guidelines.
“The principal source of her exposure was traffic emissions.
“During this period there was a recognised failure to reduce the level of nitrogen dioxide to within the limits set by EU and domestic law, which possibly contributed to her death.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the coroner’s conclusion was a “landmark moment” and called pollution a “public health crisis”.
“This is a landmark moment and is thanks to the years of tireless campaigning by Ella’s mother Rosamund, who has shown an extraordinary amount of courage,” he said in a statement.
“Today must be a turning point so that other families do not have to suffer the same heartbreak as Ella’s family.
“Toxic air pollution is a public health crisis, especially for our children, and the inquest underlined yet again the importance of pushing ahead with bold policies such as expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone to inner London.
“Ministers and the previous mayor have acted too slowly in the past, but they must now learn the lessons from the coroner’s ruling and do much more to tackle the deadly scourge of air pollution in London and across the country.”
