How does London’s air pollution compare to other cities? 

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

While the UK issues a weather warning over Saharan dust cloud, over 1,500 cities around the world have a higher level of pollution

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Despite its reputation as a smog-filled metropolis affected by air pollution, dust from the Sahara and other forms of air-borne toxicity, London is only the 2,516th worst polluted city in the world.

The most polluted city is Nyala in Sudan and other Sudanese cities make up six of the top 10 places, according to a report by the World Bank.

Developing nations are home to the most polluted cities in the world – with Pakistan, Iraq and Egypt having the most cities in the top 100 of the list.

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New York and Berlin fared worse than the British capital, in 2445th and 2312nd places respectively, but Manchester, Edinburgh and Paris all recorded cleaner air than London.

The highest ranked European city is Georgia’s capital Tsbilsi – having the 268th most polluted air in the world.

The report was based on a pool of 3,226 world cities with populations larger than 100,000, as well as including national capitals.

However, a smaller report by the World Health Organization this year ranked London 940th out of 1622 cities.

It took measurements from “monitoring stations located in urban background, residential, commercial and mixed areas” and also including measuring PM2.5 (fine particulate matter).

Indian city Delhi takes the dubious honour of number one spot, according to the data.

Residents of the Indian capital, on an average day, breathe air that contains almost 10 times as many fine particles as the London mean.

Nonetheless, it is still significantly more than the WHO annual mean guideline.

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London does, however, still earn its nickname as “The Big Smoke” – because although PM2.5 is responsible for the greatest number of deaths worldwide, nitrogen dioxide kills more people in London, responsible for 5,879 deaths.

Nitrogen dioxide was a key factor of VW’s attempt to rig its emissions statistics.

The capital’s shopping hotspot Oxford Street was last year named the most polluted street on earth.

Simon Birkett, founder of the Clean Air in London campaign, said: “With most of the breaches of NO2 [nitrogen dioxide] laws in London due to diesel vehicles on Transport for London roads, it is clear the mayor has failed to help boroughs comply with these limits.”

Sian Berry, the Green Party’s London Mayoral candidate, added: “Simply not enough is being done to invest in green industries throughout the UK. But there are robust moral and economic arguments to do so.”

Last week, 195 countries met in Paris to make an historic agreement to fight climate change, aiming to abandon fossil fuels this century and to limit global warming to 2°c.

More than three million people die prematurely each year from air pollution and this figure is set to double by 2050.

Source: How does London’s air pollution compare to other cities? – Telegraph

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Illegal air pollution will blight many UK cities for at least five years 

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Government plan to improve air quality will still leave people in dozens of cities, including London, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Cardiff and Edinburgh, breathing toxic air until at least 2020

Dozens of UK cities including London, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Cardiff and Edinburgh will still be in breach of EU limits on air pollution for at least the next five years, despite an air quality action plan issued by the government on Thursday.

The plan is a response to a supreme court ruling in April on the government’s failure to meet European limits of harmful NOx gases, which are mostly caused by diesel traffic and blamed for nearly 9,500 premature deaths each year in London alone.

But the blueprint for cutting NOx lets privately-owned passenger cars off the hook by making them exempt, and only includes so-called clean air zones for five cities, in addition to one already planned in London.

Alan Andrews, a lawyer for ClientEarth, the NGO which won the supreme court case, said: “These are better than the draft plans [published in September] but they’re still not good enough. They need to go much further and much faster, and we’ll be going back to court.”

He added: “The original deadline for compliance was 2010. The supreme court ordered plans to achieve compliance as soon as possible, yet the government is acting as if 2020 is somehow okay. Every year that goes by, thousands more people will die or be made seriously ill.”

Under the plan, so-called clean air zones will be introduced in Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton by 2020. The owners of the dirtiest buses, coaches, lorries and taxis will have to pay a charge to enter the zones, but newer and cleaner models will be exempt.

However, privately-owned passenger cars, which make up 88% of the UK’s motor fleet , will also be exempt from paying a charge. In pollution hotspots, vehicles are responsible for around 80% of NOx emissions.

The plan projects that London will be in compliance by 2025 rather than 2030 as expected before. Leeds and Birmingham will meet the limits by 2020, instead of 2025 without the plans.

But the compliance date of 2020 for many cities – including Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh – remains unchanged by the plans.

Elizabeth Truss, environment secretary, said: “Our clean air zones are targeted on the largest vehicles, whilst not affecting car owners and minimising the impact on business.

“We want to ensure people can continue to drive into city centres and by targeting action at the most polluting coaches, taxis, buses and lorries we will encourage the use of cleaner vehicles.”

The UK has been in breach of EU limits on annual mean NOx concentrations since 2010 and pleaded for extensions. That led the NGO ClientEarth to bring a court case against the government which culminated in a unanimous verdict in the supreme court ordering a clean-up plan by the end of 2015.

The resulting plan today comes just days after it was revealed that the UK was lobbying against new European limits for carmakers on NOx. The government blames much of the UK’s pollution woes on the failure to introduce real world driving tests in Europe, but the UK has lobbied against those in Brussels.

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Andrews said that exempting privately-owned passenger cars was the plan’s biggest weakness.

“The elephant in the room is passenger cars. They are one of the biggest sources of NO2 pollution and yet they are being exempted from the clean air zones. One of the biggest weaknesses of this plan is the failure to adequately address pollution from passenger cars.”

A spokeswoman for the environment department could not explain why 88% of the UK motor fleet was being exempted, but said the focus was on targeting the oldest and most polluting vehicles.

The department said it expected 35 of 43 air quality zones to meet NOx limits by 2020, up from 28 under its earlier projections. “This will lead to significant benefits for the UK, including helping to avoid health impacts,” it said.

The government will be consulting with local authorities on the level of the fees charged to deter the dirtiest lorries, coaches and taxis ahead of the zones taking effect by 2020.

Source: Illegal air pollution will blight many UK cities for at least five years | Environment | The Guardian

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Health warning issued as Saharan dust cloud set to send air pollution levels soaring in Peterborough area 

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

A health warning has been issued as air pollution is expected to reach high levels tomorrow, Thursday December 17.

Levels of air pollution are expected to reach moderate to high levels in the Peterborough, Stamford and Wisbech areas as a cloud of Saharan dust is blown across the region.

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The warning has been issued by Defra (The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) which recommends that adults and children with lung problems, and adults with heart problems, should reduce strenuous physical exertion, particularly outdoors, and particularly if they experience symptoms.

People with asthma may find they need to use their reliever inhaler more often. Older people should also reduce physical exertion.

Anyone experiencing discomfort such as sore eyes, cough or sore throat should consider reducing activity, particularly outdoors.

Dr Sotiris Vardoulakis, Head of PHE’s Environmental Change Department, said: “Public Health England provides advice to Defra on the health effects of ambient air pollution.

“While most people will not be affected by short term peaks in ambient air pollution, some individuals, such as those with existing heart or lung conditions, may experience increased symptoms.

“On occasions where levels are high, adults and children with lung problems, and adults with heart problems, should reduce strenuous physical exertion, particularly outdoors, and particularly if they experience symptoms. People with asthma may find they need to use their reliever inhaler more often. Older people should also reduce physical exertion. Anyone experiencing discomfort such as sore eyes, cough or sore throat should consider reducing activity, particularly outdoors.”

Saharan dust is lifted by strong winds and can reach very high altitudes; from there it can be transported worldwide by winds, covering distances of thousands of kilometres. The dust gets caught in rain droplets in clouds, falling to the ground in rain. When the water evaporates, a thin layer of dust is left on surfaces, like cars. It can also lead to vivid sunsets.

Levels of air pollution are forecast to be Low over the UK on Friday, but may become Moderate across parts of England and Wales on Saturday. On Sunday, air pollution levels are forecast to be Low across all areas.

A rating of 1,2 or 3 shows low pollution. 4,5 or 6 moderate, while 7,8 and 9 is high.

Source: Health warning issued as Saharan dust cloud set to send air pollution levels soaring in Peterborough area – Peterborough Telegraph

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Three Surprising Parts of the World Where Air Pollution Decreased

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Thanks to a super-sensitive new tool, NASA can now see exactly where air pollution is increasing and decreasing–down to the level of neighborhoods–and in some cases, the results are surprising.

In 2004, NASA launched its Aura satellite, a research craft designed to monitor the Earth’s ozone. One of the (many!) instruments aboard Aura was the OMI, or Ozone Monitoring Instrument, which has been sending back information about nitrogen dioxide, or the gas that billows out of our cars, factories, and power plants. It’s the air pollution created when you burn fossil fuels–a yardstick for measuring how well or how poorly a given area of the world is doing at curbing air pollution.

Today, NASA published its analysis of nine years of global air pollution data taken since the launch of Aura, and it gives us a glimpse of exactly where the worst pollution is coming from. But the heat map-style visualizations created for the study also show us where it’s seen some surprising reductions.

Beijing

Here’s one of the biggest surprises. Beijing is notoriously smog-ridden, yet it’s seen a dramatic decrease according to NASA.

What gives? To put it bluntly, the population Beijing–along with Shanghai, and the Pearl River Delta–have had enough. A “growing middle class is now demanding cleaner air,” explains Bryan Duncan, an atmospheric scientist at NASA. Whereas China overall saw huge increases in air pollution (seen in orange below), cities where citizens are demanding cleaner air saw a decrease overall (seen below in blue).

Syria

Duncan points out another aberration: Syria. Whereas other Middle Eastern countries, like Kuwait and Iran, experienced increases, they found something different in Syria. Over the past few years, there was a steep drop off in nitrogen dioxide.

As Duncan explains, that’s due to the double-pronged effect of the civil war there, which crippled the economy and forced millions of people to flee their country. Because most air pollution is caused by economic activity and cars, there’s been a big drop over the past four years.

Some (Not All) Parts of Texas

Texas isn’t exactly a winner when it comes to reducing air pollution, but it’s worth checking out its map for another reason. While urban centers like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio are cloaked in mild blue thanks to attempts at curbing some of the worst air quality readings in the country, much of the rural parts of the state are reddish-orange.

As Duncan points out, Texas and North Dakota are the only states in the union that saw increases in air pollution over this decade–and they were extreme.

The cause is simple: Fracking and other resource extraction projects. Yeesh.

Duncan presented these results at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting today, so we’ll probably see more on this data soon. For now, you can check out NASA’s online recap here.

Source: Three Surprising Parts of the World Where Air Pollution Decreased

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Most parts of Taiwan suffering from poor air quality

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

The air quality in western parts of Taiwan was at an unhealthy level on Wednesday, with the index for fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) hitting hazardously high levels, according to the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).

Except for the eastern counties of Hualien and Taitung, other parts of Taiwan hit hazardous air quality levels, with most EPA stations in western Taiwan recording the highest level of 10 on the 1-10 PM2.5 index Wednesday morning.

Level 10 on the index represents PM2.5 concentrations of 71 micrograms per cubic meter or above.

The poor air quality was attributed to a cold air mass moving into Taiwan from the northwest that brought with it pollutants from China, according to the EPA.

The air quality is expected to turn better beginning Wednesday afternoon in northern Taiwan but remain poor in central and southern Taiwan for an extended period because of local pollutants from factories and the lack of conditions enabling the pollutants to disperse, the EPA said.

According to the EPA, measurements above level 7 on the PM2.5 index (54 to 58 micrograms per cubic meter) are deemed severe enough to cause tangible discomfort and health problems.

The elderly and those with chronic lung problems or heart disease in affected areas should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical activity, the EPA advised, urging people to wear facial masks when going out.

People with asthma may also need to use inhalers more often, it said.

In 2005, the World Health Organization set guideline values for PM2.5 particles of 10 micrograms per cubic meter as an annual mean and 25 micrograms per cubic meter as a 24-hour mean to reduce pollution-related deaths.

It warned, however, that PM2.5 concentrations below those levels could still have an adverse affect on average life expectancy.

Source: Most parts of Taiwan suffering from poor air quality | Society | FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS

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Tehran’s air pollution hits worst level in months 

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Air pollution in Iran’s capital hit its worst level — for a day without a sandstorm — in at least nine months on Monday, prompting warnings that all citizens should stay indoors.

“Tehran’s air is unhealthy for all,” said the city’s transport and traffic department on a municipality-owned website.

“Citizens, and especially sensitive groups, are asked not to leave their homes unless urgent,” it said, referring to children and the elderly.

Visibility was low as a grey fog blanketed the capital, a megacity with an estimated 14 million people within its metropolitan area.

Monday’s Air Quality Index showed an average level of 162, within a “red status” that means the air is unhealthy for everyone, according to World Health Organization standards.

A normal healthy level is between zero and 50.

Monday’s high pollution level was the second highest recorded since the start of the Iranian year on March 21.

The metre hit 252 during an isolated dust storm in September.

Floating particles from car emissions were the worst pollutant Monday — registering “seven times the standard level,” Air Quality Control Organisation chief Vahid Hosseini told official media.

Officials may move to shut down schools should the index reach 200, the deputy for Tehran’s environmental monitoring department said.

Peak pollution hit 180 in some areas of Tehran, whose poor air is worsened because of high altitudes — between 1,100 and 1,700 metres (3,600-5,600 feet) — above sea level in a land basin surrounded by mountains.

Iran’s government has tried to cut pollution by supplying Euro 4 standard fuel in large cities, Masoumeh Ebtekar, a vice president responsible for environmental protection, said on state television on Sunday.

Still, the exhaust fumes of five million cars make up 80 percent of Tehran’s pollution, which increases in winter as emissions fail to rise above cold air in the atmosphere.

In 2012, pollution contributed to the premature deaths of 4,500 people in Tehran and about 80,000 in the country, according to the health ministry.

Last December, almost 400 people were hospitalised with heart and respiratory problems caused by heavy pollution in Tehran, with nearly 1,500 others requiring treatment.

Source: Tehran’s air pollution hits worst level in months – Yahoo News UK

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Shanghai Warns People to Stay Indoors on ‘Severe’ Air Pollution

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Shanghai warned children and elderly to remain indoors and everyone else to avoid physical activity outdoors as air pollution levels worsened.

The city’s air was classified as “severely polluted,” the worst level of a 6-grade scale, as the air quality index hit 315 as of 6 a.m., the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center said on its website. The concentration of PM2.5 — particulates considered the must dangerous to people’s health — was 265 micrograms per cubic meter, the center said. The World Health Organization recommends no more than daily exposures of 25 micrograms.

The air is expected to clear up by the afternoon with light or medium pollution levels forecast, the center said.

The warning followed a red pollution alert by Beijing last week for the first time, that triggered limits on industrial production, bans of outdoor construction and primary school and kindergartens suspensions.

Source: Shanghai Warns People to Stay Indoors on ‘Severe’ Air Pollution – Bloomberg Business

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Delhi’s pollution one-and-half times worse than Beijing 

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Delhi’s air pollution has been one-and-a-half times worse than in Beijing over the past week, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter) concentration data.

The analysis is based on a comparison of data generated by IndiaSpend’s #Breathe air quality monitoring sensor placed at RK Puram, Delhi with the one placed by the US government in its embassy at Beijing.

The average weekly PM 2.5 concentration in Delhi’s air was 230.9 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), giving it a ‘very poor’ rating of air quality under the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Bureau (CPCB). The rating could lead to ‘respiratory illness on prolonged exposure’.

Beijing, by comparison, recorded a PM 2.5 concentration of 139.7µg/m³ during the same period.

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PM 2.5 are fine particulate matter found in the air with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less and are known to pose the greatest risk to human beings. Their measurement is considered to be the best indicator of the level of health risks from air pollution, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The PM 2.5 concentration level in Delhi has been higher than Beijing for six out of seven days under consideration, based on a comparison of daily averages.

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Delhi’s PM 2.5 concentration exceeded 250 µg/m³ thrice over the last week, placing it under ‘severe’ category.

The ‘severe’ rating means the PM 2.5 concentration is so high that it might affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases.

Beijing, by comparison, recorded ‘severe’ rating only once in the same period.

Both Beijing and Delhi recorded ‘very poor’ air quality in terms of PM 2.5 concentration (151 to 250 µg/m³) on three out of the last seven days.

Delhi had only one day with ‘poor’ air quality (PM 2.5 concentration between 91 to 150 µg/m³) that could lead to breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure.

Beijing recorded ‘good’ to ‘satisfactory’ air quality on three days (3 to 5 December 2015), which has contributed to a lower weekly average of PM 2.5 concentration. This was the result of strong winds that blew over the city on December 2, 2015 and dispersed the smog.

Delhi’s air recorded an annual mean PM 2.5 concentration of 153 µg/m³, nearly three times higher than Beijing (56 µg/m³), according to data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) last year.

The WHO data reveal that Delhi has the world’s worst air pollution with the highest PM 2.5 concentration levels among cities. Beijing, by comparison, is not even in the top 50 cities by air pollution.

Coming to concentration of PM 10 (particles between 2.5 to 10 µm in diameter), Delhi air recorded ‘severe’ rating for one day, ‘very poor’ ratings for three days, and ‘poor’ and ‘moderate’ ratings for one day each.

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Beijing, Delhi move to control pollution

The daily PM 2.5 concentration rising to unhealthy levels, i.e. above 150 µg/m³ since December 6, 2015, has prompted Beijing to issue the first-ever “red alert” for pollution. The alert is a pre-emptive measure to protect the city’s citizens from a new blanket of smog expected to descend on the city over the coming days.

While schools in Beijing have been urged to close temporarily, odd-even number plate system for cars has been enforced.

The odd-even formula for private cars comes at a time when a similar measure announced by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is being debated by lawmakers and civil society, with doubts being raised regarding the effectiveness with which the formula can be executed.

“First of all, this is Delhi, where being ill-informed and rich is a virtue. Most people have multiple cars and will just take out their second or third or fourth car—or buy a new one if required—to get around this rule,” Rajyasree Sen wrote in an article in Mint.

It is worth noting here that when the odd-even formula for private cars was enforced in Beijing for a two-week period starting August 20, 2015, the city’s usually smog-filled skies had turned perfectly blue.

The pollution level in India’s national capital has reached alarming proportions, prompting a bench of Delhi High Court judges to compare the city to a gas chamber last Thursday.

Unlike Beijing, Delhi currently has no formal mechanism for issuing alerts and advisories for pollution, leading the National Green Tribunal to recently issue a directive to warn people about the deteriorating air quality in the capital and suggest ways to deal with it.

Nearly half of the state’s 4.4 million school children are growing up into adults with irreversible lung damage, according to a report by the Kolkata-based Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI).

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Source: Delhi’s pollution one-and-half times worse than Beijing | cities | Hindustan Times

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