Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants
COMEAP advises the government on all matters concerning the health effects of air pollutants.
Appointment of a new COMEAP Chair
Professor Anna Hansell has been appointed as Chair of COMEAP from 1 June 2021.
Professor Hansell is Professor of Environmental Epidemiology, Director of the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability and Director of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Environmental Exposures and Health at the University of Leicester.
Her research interests include the health effects of air pollutants and of environmental noise. She succeeds the outgoing Chair, Professor Frank Kelly, whose term has expired.
Role of the group
COMEAP provides independent advice to government departments and agencies on how air pollution impacts on health. Its members come from a range of specialist fields such as air quality science, atmospheric chemistry, toxicology, physiology, epidemiology, statistics, paediatrics and cardiology. There is also a lay member, who helps ensure that the general public can access and understand the committee’s work.
Terms of reference
At the request of the Department of Health to:
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advise the UK health departments on the effects on the health of both outdoor and indoor air pollutants on the basis of data currently available
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assess the need for further research
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liaise as necessary with other government bodies to assess the effects of exposure and associated risks to human health
Code of practice
Membership
Current members are:
- Professor Frank J Kelly, Chair (Humphrey Battcock Chair of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London)
- Professor Alan R Boobis (Professor of Toxicology, Imperial College London)
- Professor Nicola Carslaw (Professor in Indoor Air Chemistry, University of York)
- Ms Ruth Chambers (Lay member)
- Dr Martin Clift (Associate Professor, Particle and Fibre Toxicology/In Vitro Systems, Swansea University) co-opted Member
- Professor Anna Hansell (Professor of Environmental Epidemiology, University of Leicester)
- Professor Roy Harrison (Queen Elizabeth II Birmingham Centenary Professor of Environmental Health, University of Birmingham)
- Professor Mathew Heal (Chair of Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Edinburgh)
- Dr Mike Holland (Freelance consultant in economic assessment of environmental policies)
- Professor Duncan Lee (Professor of Statistics, University of Glasgow)
- Dr Mark Miller (Senior Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh)
- Professor Gavin Shaddick (Professor of Data Science and Statistics, University of Exeter)
- Mr John Stedman (Air Quality Analysis and Policy Support Knowledge Leader, Ricardo Energy and Environment)
- Dr Heather Walton (Senior Lecturer in Environmental Health, Imperial College London)
- Professor Paul Wilkinson (Professor of Environmental Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
Minutes
Read minutes for COMEAP meetings
Read agendas for COMEAP meetings
Minutes from previous meetings are held on the National Archives website.
Open meetings
COMEAP holds open meetings to increase the visibility and transparency of its work. To attend a meeting as an observer, you will need to send an to the secretariat and follow the .
Forthcoming meetings
- Monday 15 November 2021
Publications
Previous publications are held on the National Archives website.
Contact
Contact COMEAP through the secretariat at Public Health England (PHE)
Email: air.pollution@phe.gov.uk
In any correspondence, please reference the COMEAP website.
COMEAP Secretariat
Public Health England
Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards
Chilton
Oxon
OX11 0RQ