Tuesday, October 31, 2017

44 UK towns and cities breaching air pollution limits

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Hugo Griffiths 2017-10-31 12:00

New research finds Glasgow, London, Leeds, Southampton and 40 other urban areas have hazardous pollution levels

Exhaust emissions

A new study has found 44 UK towns and cities have dangerous levels of air pollution.

The findings, discovered by researchers from the Royal College of Physicians, indicate levels of ‘PM2.5’ – microscopic particles suspended in the atmosphere – are over and above recommended levels in several urban areas in Britain. 

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The World Health Organisation says PM2.5 levels shouldn’t exceed 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air, but average concentrations of these particles in Glasgow and Scunthorpe were 16 micrograms per cubic metre in 2016, while mean levels in London, Leeds, Southampton and Salford were recorded at 15 micrograms per cubic metre over the same period.

Of the 51 UK towns and cities in the World Health Organisation’s ambient air pollution database, 44 breached recommended limits in 2016, with residents in Leeds, Bristol, Eastbourne, Birmingham and Manchester among those affected. People living in Bournemouth, Sunderland, Aberdeen and Reading, meanwhile, will be reassured to learn their home towns met or undercut recommended PM2.5 levels.

PM2.5 particles are defined as solid or liquid particles under 2.5 microns in diameter that are suspended in the atmosphere. These particles are produced by any number of sources, but research indicates road transport is responsible for a significant proportion of kerbside PM2.5 levels. Excess concentrations of these particles is associated with a number of health conditions, including cardiovascular illness and respiratory ailments such as asthma.

The report’s authors said initiatives that aim to tackle urban pollution – such as the recently-introduced T-Charge in London  - were “much needed”, but Dr Toby Hillman, one of the researchers behind the study, cautioned: “we know the effects of poor air quality run from cradle to grave; it’s a lifetime threat to human health.” 

WHO's UK ambient air pollution list

Town/city Mean 2016 PM2.5 levels (μg/m3)

 

Glasgow 16
Scunthorpe 16
Eastbourne 15
Leeds 15
London 15
Salford 15
Southampton 15
Armagh 14
Birmingham 14
Cardiff 14
Chepstow 14
Gibraltar 14
Oxford 14
Port Talbot 14
Portsmouth 14
Stanford-le-Hope 14
Stoke-on-Trent 14
Thurrock 14
Warrington 14
Bristol 13
Leamington Spa 13
Manchester 13
Newport 13
Norwich 13
Wigan 13
Belfast 12
Carlisle 12
Hull 12
Liverpool 12
Nottingham 12
Plymouth 12
Prestonpans 12
Swansea 12
York 12
Birkenhead 11
Brighton 11
Londonderry 11
Middlesbrough 11
Saltash 11
Southend-on-Sea 11
Chesterfield 10
Newcastle upon Tyne 10
Reading 10
Stockton-on-Tees 10
Wrexham 10
Aberdeen 9
Bournemouth 9
Grangemouth 9
Sunderland 9
Edinburgh 8
Inverness 6

Is your town or city on the list? What should be done to reduce air pollution? Join the debate in the comments area below...



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