UK Government faces Supreme Court hearing over Glasgow’s illegal air pollution

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Environmental group ClientEarth is taking the UK Government to court over illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide in Glasgow and 15 other British cities and regions, in breach of EU limits.

This week’s hearing is the culmination of a four-year battle in UK and EU courts and follows last year’s ruling from the European Court of Justice which held that the UK must achieve air quality standards in the ‘shortest time possible’

The Government’s own estimates show that air quality in Glasgow will continue to break EU standards for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) until 2025 – 15 years after the original deadline.

Average levels of NO2 this year in the Glasgow Urban Area will be 74 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) at the most polluted spots. The legal limit is 40 μg/m3.

A recent study by Friends of the Earth named Hope Street in Glasgow as Scotland’s most polluted street.

Air pollution has been linked to coronary artery disease, heart attacks and strokes, and has been blamed for causing more than 300 deaths per year in the city.

ClientEarth is calling on the Court to order the Government to produce a new plan showing how it will make cuts in air pollution in UK cities.

Alan Andrews, ClientEarth lawyer, said: “Politicians in Holyrood and Westminster need to work together to find a solution. Levels of pollution in Glasgow are not only harmful to health, they’re also illegal.”

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said they were making progress in partnership with councils.

She added: “Data shows that significant reductions in air pollutants have been achieved since 1990 and the action we are taking will secure further reductions.”

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “The issues around air quality are often directed towards local authorities, but the really big policy drivers are in the hands of central or devolved government. Councils need to be given the appropriate powers and resources to address these issues.”

via UK Government faces Supreme Court hearing over Glasgow’s illegal air pollution | Herald Scotland.

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GREAT SMOG returns: As temperatures rocket UK faces even MORE toxic air from Continent

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

This week’s high temperatures will be bolstered by blasts of heat near the Continent

With thermometers poised to rise close to 80F the Government has issued another raft of pollution alerts.

Parts of the UK including Devon, Cornwall, London and the southeast will see levels creep up from tomorrow (Tuesday) towards a ‘high’ by the end of the week.

Once again people with breathing and heart problems have been warned to avoid outdoor activities and carry medication.

It comes as Britain prepares to bake in another early-summer heatwave with the mercury expected to rocket into the 70s.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is tipped to be the hottest day of the year so far beating the 21.9C (71F) recorded in London at the end of last week. Then Wednesday is predicted to get even warmer.

The warm weather is partly thanks again to high pressure dragging hot air in from France and Spain.

However it will be loaded small particles and chemicals thrown into the air from motor vehicles and fires.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) warned Thursday and Friday will see the highest levels.

A spokesman said: “Light winds may allow high air pollution levels to accumulate across southeast England.

“Friday – further areas of high air pollution are possible, this time across southwest England as air from the Continent arrives.”

Chris Burton forecaster for The Weather Network, said the mercury will hit 77F (25C) by the day after tomorrow (Wednesday).

However he warned heavy downpours in the north and Scotland is likely to dump up to two inches of rain over the next two days.

He said: “25C is possible in a few places across southern England during Wednesday afternoon.”

It won’t be warm and sunny everywhere however, with Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England plagued with more cloud and outbreaks of rain through Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Some of the rain will be heavy, particularly across western Scotland where more than two inches (50mm) could fall over the next 48hrs.

“Pollution levels are expected to remain fairly low through Tuesday and Wednesday but as we go into Thursday and Friday, southern England could see elevated pollution levels as easterly winds drag heavily polluted air off the near Continent.

“Current forecast suggest pollution will be in the Moderate category through Thursday and Friday in southern England and south Wales with local pockets of High pollution.”

The Met Office said pollen levels are also set to hit ‘moderate’ this week meaning a double-whammy of misery for allergy sufferers.

Hay fever treatments have been flying off the shelves over the past week with the often cool and wet March blamed for a surge in symptoms.

Allergy expert Max Wiseberg of HayMax balms, said: “We have seen a large increase in sales compared to this time last year.

“There is definitely a rise in the number of people with symptoms, and consequently people buying treatments this early on.

“This is partly due to March being cool and then immediately warm soon afterwards causing birch trees to release high levels of pollen.”

Experts say air pollution, especially in London, kills around 4,000 people in the capital and almost 30,000 nationwide each year.

Allergy UK warned high levels of allergens and pollutants can trigger potentially fatal asthma attacks.

Clinical director Maureen Jenkins said: “Hay fever can bring on symptoms in people who suffer from asthma and this is made worse when pollution is high.

“Pollen and particles in the air cling together and have a joint effect, high pollution levels can certainly be a problem, especially in people with existing conditions.”

After today’s (Monday) brief lull in the fine weather Britain is about to enjoy another dose of early summer sunshine an blue skies.

Some long-range outlooks suggest the good weather could be here to stay right through until the end of June.

The Met Office is predicting temperatures of up to 77F (25C) in the south this week with highs of 16C (61F) elsewhere.

Under clear skies and sunshine it will feel close to 80F (27C) in the south – more than double the 11C average for the time of year.

This week’s high temperatures will be bolstered by blast of heat from the near Continent where pollution levels are forecast to hit ‘very high’.

The south will enjoy the best of the weather this week although the UV index, which indicates the sun’s strength, will push ‘5’ in sparking warnings to use suncream.

Temperatures double the average maximum (11C) this early in the month mean Britain could yet see the hottest April day in almost 70 years.

With more than a fortnight until the end of the month the mercury could top the 29.4C (84.94F) recorded in Camden, London, on April 16, 1949.

Defra said pollution levels will start to creep up tomorrow (Tuesday) with ‘low’ to ‘moderate’ levels forecast in central and eastern regions before hitting ‘high’ in the south on Thursday and Friday.

Met Office forecaster Dan Williams said: “Tuesday is likely to be the hottest day of the year so far and then Wednesday may top that again.

“We have a warm tropical maritime coming air mass coming in from the Azores with temperatures of 25C likely by mid week.

“There is also some warm air coming in from northern France.”

via GREAT SMOG returns: As temperatures rocket UK faces even MORE toxic air from Continent | Nature | News | Daily Express.

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Respro® Masks FAQ: I need the protection of the City™ mask, but would like the added comfort of the Sportsta™, is this possible?

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

I need the protection of the City™ mask, but would like the added comfort of the Sportsta™, is this possible?

Yes! The filters and valves used in both the City™ and the Sportsta™ masks are totally interchangeable.

For more FAQ,  see Respro® Mask FAQ

All Respro® products are available from our website respro.com

Respro® will ship your order to anywhere on the planet free of charge.

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Pollutionwatch: Groundhog spring

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

This spring is proving to be a repeat of last year. On 23 March, Paris banned odd number plate cars once again to bring particle pollution under control. As in 2014 this was accompanied by days of free public transport and reduced speed limits.

Once again the polluted air also covered most of the UK. Londoners experienced the top level of ten on the UK pollution scale on 17 March and levels between seven and nine were widespread; only the highlands of Scotland and north Wales escaped. Further particle pollution returned in early April. Warnings were provided for vulnerable people but no action was taken to control pollution sources.

NHS 111 and GP consultations for breathing problems increased last spring’s pollution episodes; there were around 1,600 extra GP consultations during the March episode and 2,700 in the April one.

Controlling air pollution would be helped if we knew which sources were the most harmful. To answer this question scientists traditionally compare measurements of one pollutant at a time to death and hospital statistics. But, in the real-world, we breathe a mixture of pollutants. Our spring pollution episodes have been dominated by so-called secondary particles that form when diesel exhaust, industrial pollution and agricultural emissions mix. These can drift over hundreds of kilometres. A new study from King’s College London separated days according to different pollutant mixtures and health data. Days dominated by secondary particles, such those in March and early April, were followed by 2% more deaths from breathing problems.

via Pollutionwatch: Groundhog spring | Environment | The Guardian.

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High air pollution levels hit parts of UK

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Parts of the UK reached the highest level of air pollution on Friday, prompting health warnings.

Warm, still conditions combined with traffic fumes, pollution from the continent and dust from the Sahara.

Experts warned vulnerable people not to take strenuous exercise outside.

via High air pollution levels hit parts of UK – BBC News.

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Longer-term thinking ‘needed’ on air pollution

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Warnings about dirty air come so often that only the most severe seem to catch anyone’s attention.

The last major episode to grab the headlines came a year ago when many areas of Britain were blanketed in a noxious brew that turned the skies grey-brown for several days.

At the time, all eyes were focused on the most exotic -sounding ingredient – dust that had been blown up from the Sahara.

Tiny grains from the desert had indeed made the long airborne trek from the desert but most of the problem was caused by a nasty mix of pollutants created here and abroad.

Britain frequently finds itself on the receiving-end of pollution wafted in from the Continent – and more of that is forecast tomorrow with a current of air circling from central Europe across southern France and over the English Channel.

A computer model from the American weather agency NOAA calculates where the air that will be over London tomorrow has come from.

A so-called “back-trajectory” plots the position of a single parcel of air every six hours so you can see its path over the past four days.

The chart also shows that the pollution cloud will generally remain below 500m in altitude which means it is concentrated in a relatively small air space and therefore packs more of a punch.

As often happens, this shows that much of the contamination comes from the industrial sites and major cities of northwest Europe.

Complex pattern

But farmers in those regions may also be to blame. April often sees them spreading fertiliser on their fields which releases plumes of ammonia that are lofted into the atmosphere and carried on the air currents.

How much of this stuff actually reaches Britain all depends on the precise pattern of the winds – a slight shift in one direction can despatch it all over the ocean, a tweak the other way could see it billowing our way.

But continental pollution is only one part of the story. A major and awkward factor behind dirty British air is Britain itself – home grown pollution from our factories and power stations and traffic.

Scientists have an array of instruments to tease out the different sources of pollution – a version of CSI forensics that can pick out where the muck has come from.

The tiniest particles are known as PM2.5 – because they’re smaller than 2.5 microns across.

If these are more than a few days old, they are known as “aged particulates” and were produced across the Channel before being sent our way.

If they are identified as sulphates they will have been emitted from industries; nitrates on this scale come from the exhaust fumes of traffic.

Taking a breath of these “aged particulates” means you may well be inhaling a blast of pollution generated when someone accelerated away from traffic lights in northern France. Dirty air knows no boundaries.

But the same techniques can nail which pollution has been produced here. “Fresh” or “primary” particulates – only several hours old – serve as a smoking-gun to identify sources in Britain.

Ugly truth

And research indicates an ugly truth: that we export more air pollution than we receive. An infamous “London plume” of contaminated air frequently stretches eastwards to northern France.

This clearly showed up in instruments deployed by a pollution research plane that I joined during the London Olympics in 2012.

According to Dr Ben Barratt of King’s College London, the problem is worst in urban areas and is both chronic and serious.

“We can’t solve the problem merely by reacting to every episode – we need to change our behaviour every day because it’s the long-term exposure that matters for your health.”

All this comes as the British government faces another stage in a long legal battle for breaching European Union standards on nitrogen dioxide, one form of air pollution.

An environmental campaign group, Client Earth, has brought a series of challenges. Next Thursday, the Supreme Court will hold a hearing on whether the government should be ordered to produce a more radical pollution reduction plan than already outlined.

Under current proposals, Britain will meet EU standards by 2030, with the conurbations of London, the West Midlands and North West England forecast to be the last to fall into line.

None of this is remotely on the scale of what Chinese city-dwellers have to put up with. A couple of years ago I saw for myself how grim the situation can be in China and what the authorities are now trying to do.

But nothing attracts attention like your own skies turning a slightly funny colour, and yet again hearing the health warnings to the aged, the asthmatic and the infirm to keep out of harm’s way.

via Longer-term thinking ‘needed’ on air pollution – BBC News.

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Air pollution spike across England sparks warning from health charities

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

Dirtiest air expected to hit Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings, where older people and children have been urged to avoid any strenuous activity at all

A major spike in air pollution across much of England poses a risk to those suffering from respiratory diseases, older people and children, health charities warned on Friday.

The government pushed its smog alert levels to “very high” – its most extreme pollution warning – for some parts of south east England.

In Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings the official advice is for all residents – regardless of their health – to reduce their physical exertion. Older people and children on Easter school holidays have been urged to avoid any strenuous activity at all.

In other areas of England, particularly the south east and Midlands, the smog levels will be high enough to cause problems for those with pre-existing problems.

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation (BLF), said: “To reduce the impact, people who find their health affected can take simple steps such as avoiding busy roads, especially during rush hour, and refraining from strenuous exercise outside.”

The event closely follows another high level pollution event in March. Professor Malcolm Green, founder of the BLF, said long term exposure to air pollution was “associated with lung diseases including asthma, as well as lung cancer, and can make symptoms worse in those with pre-existing respiratory conditions. The effects of air pollution depend on the severity of exposure, length of exposure, and susceptibility of the individual”.

Asthma UK told asthma sufferers to carry their inhalers at all times. Especially as the high pollution event was due to combine with increased pollen counts.

“Poor air quality and pollen allergy can both trigger asthma symptoms, and increase the chance of a potentially life-threatening asthma attack. Children can be more affected by pollution because they have faster breathing rates, and their lungs are still developing,” said an Asthma UK advisory.

Woods said it was unfair that those suffering asthma and other lung conditions should be repeatedly forced indoors by air pollution events.

“People living with lung conditions shouldn’t have to take such steps simply to avoid being made ill by the air they breathe. With periods of high pollution often resulting from a combination of domestically-produced pollution and that coming from mainland Europe, we need urgent action from government to clean up the air we breathe, across all government departments at home and at a pan-European level.”

Keith Taylor is the Greens MEP for the south east, the area most heavily affected by Friday’s event, said the problem should be a national priority. “Whoever forms the next government, one of the first things they must do is to urgently address this public health crisis that currently only seems to be getting worse.”

Simon Birkett, director of campaign group Clean Air in London, said: “This is the biggest, most serious air pollution or particle episode since the so-called Sahara dust episode a year ago.

“If there is one lesson this week, it’s that we must follow the lead of cities like Paris that are issuing public health warnings, restricting traffic and putting forward ambitious plans to triple cycling rates within five years.”

The slow moving cloud of smog is being fed by a sluggish southerly weather system, which is also responsible for this week’s warm spring weather.

Dr Helen Dacre, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, said: “Southerly flow will lead to pollution being imported from the industrialised urban parts of Europe. This pollution will blow across Britain and add to the local pollution produced by British car drivers and heavy industry, creating high concentrations of pollutants in the air. On Saturday however, the weather will change. Clean Atlantic air will spread across the UK and pollution will return to low levels.”

Northern Europe, especially France, will be cloaked in a thick shroud of smog for much of Friday. In Paris and northern cities the government has reduced all traffic speed limits by 20km/hr. Residential parking has been made free in Paris to encourage people to leave their cars at home. In March, Paris implemented license plate bans to take half of all cars from the road.

via Air pollution spike across England sparks warning from health charities | Environment | The Guardian.

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Warning of high air pollution levels in UK

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Respro® UK Ltd

air_pollution_uk_fri_april2015

Parts of the UK could reach the highest level of air pollution on Friday, prompting health warnings.

Warm, still conditions are expected to combine with traffic fumes, pollution from the continent and Saharan dust from the south as it rises to level 10.

Much of the South East and eastern England will see high levels of pollution, although the problem is expected to be short-lived.

Defra said overnight Atlantic winds will disperse polluted air by Saturday.

In areas experiencing very high levels of air pollution, adults and children with lung problems, adults with heart problems and older people are advised to avoid strenuous activity.

People are also advised to reduce physical exertion, particularly outside, and asthma sufferers may need to use their reliever inhaler more often.

Healthy people tend to notice air pollution as a dry throat, sore eyes or a tickly cough.

But it can have a more serious impact on health by being the trigger for a heart attack or by making asthma worse.

Even low levels of air pollution can harm the health of people who are particularly sensitive.

But on Friday pollution will hit “level 10” or “very high” – the highest category of air pollution in the UK.

It does not mean people need to stay indoors.

But it is the only category of air pollution at which at-risk people – those with heart or lung problems and the elderly – are told to completely avoid strenuous physical activity.

Even healthy people are told to cut down on the amount of physical exertion.

However, the pollution will be brief and levels will drop to low/moderate by Saturday.

‘National embarrassment’

People are also advised to avoid busy roads and those who carry a reliever inhaler should always have it with them.

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: “This latest high air pollution episode, coming so soon after the last, is troubling, and could again put people living with respiratory conditions at risk of worsening symptoms.”

A Defra spokeswoman said: “This is expected to clear on Saturday and pollution levels will return to low throughout the morning.”

A case brought by environmental lawyers Client Earth against the government over levels of air pollution that breach European Union rules is shortly to return to the Supreme Court.

Philip Insall, director of health for cycling charity Sustrans, described the state of air pollution in Britain as “criminal” and a “national embarrassment”.

He said: “The next government will need to get a grip on air pollution.

“That will mean serious, dedicated investment and an effective programme of action to help more people out of their cars and choosing walking and cycling for short journeys.”

via Warning of high air pollution levels in UK – BBC News.

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