News

Diesel fumes from ferries, tankers and freighters can cause bronchial problems - especially for the elderly and the young.

At any time up to thirteen hundred ships can be passing through the English Channel; the busiest shipping lane in the world.

Those ships throw out pollution that can travel hundreds of miles on the prevailing wind.

Research by the Danish Eco Council (DEC) has found that up to 1,000 Danes die every year because of shipping pollution. American studies calculate 60,000 deaths every year for the same reason.

"Lung disease, asthma and heart attacks are all health effects of shipping emissions, " said Dr Kor Piess-Kristensen of the DEC.

"If we transfer these results to the UK, we have the English Channel and dense population and lots of ships going through there, so lots of deaths there on other side of 10,000 at least, " he said.

Rob Ashdown of the Chamber of Shipping urged caution over the Danish findings. "This research is very new and needs checking, " he said.

He said the industry was "Always looking at ways to improve our environmental performance."