A third runway at Heathrow would lead to significantly more early deaths from pollution than a new airport built in the Thames Estuary, a study warns.
The research, funded by US university MIT, suggests Heathrow pollution causes about 50 early deaths a year and this figure is rising sharply.
That figure would climb to 150 with a third runway, the study estimates.
If Heathrow closed and an airport was built in the Thames Estuary, there would be 50 deaths annually, it said.
BBC technology reporter Theo Leggett said the reasoning was that pollution from Heathrow was frequently blown over densely-populated areas, whereas a large proportion of emissions from an estuary airport would be carried out to sea.
Increases predicted by the study's researchers for a third runway at Heathrow would be partly offset by a reduction in flights from other airports, he said.
Aviation experts say the study does not give the full picture because passengers would need to travel to a more remote airport, and that could also cause pollution.
Ministers insist that any decision on airport expansion will take account of environmental and social impacts.
'Boris Island'Nic Ferriday, from campaign group AirportWatch, has warned there will be a significant number of deaths from air pollution with both options.
"The study does match up quite well with a study that was actually done for the Greater London Authority that showed 4,000 people per year dying from air pollution," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
"Those are very large figures. That sort of death toll ought to be a really significant issue for this government."
Last month, the government launched a review of how the UK might expand its airport capacity in the South East amid suggestions the prime minister would perform a U-turn on his pledge not to build a third runway at Heathrow.
London Mayor Boris Johnson, meanwhile, has backed the concept of a Thames island airport, with one of three plans unveiled dubbed "Boris Island".
Some financial analysts say the Thames Estuary project would only be financially viable if Heathrow was closed down.
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