European Court of Justice to hear UK air pollution case today

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

A civil case against the UK Government for breaching air quality limits will be heard by the Court of Justice of the European Union CJEU in Luxembourg today.

The hearing was prompted following a successful legal action brought by ClientEarth which won a UK Supreme Court judgement that ruled the Government is breaching its legal duty to achieve limits for nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas produced mainly by diesel exhausts.

The senior judges asked the CJEU to fast-track a ruling on the precise meaning of certain provisions of the EU Air Quality Directive. The CJEU’s judgment is expected before the end of the year. It will be binding on the UK courts and the national courts in all 28 EU member states.

The case will then return to the UK Supreme Court in early 2015 for a final ruling.

Despite the threat of huge fines, the UK Government yesterday delivered an even more pessimistic forecast of future levels of air pollution and blamed European law-makers for its inability to successfully tackle the issue.

Defra officials published the latest air quality projections across 43 zones nationwide for meeting European limits for nitrogen dioxide NO2, which they claims reflects the most up to date understanding of future NO2 levels.

The official figures show that three urban areas, Greater London, West Midlands and West Yorkshire, will not comply with strict EU air quality limits until sometime after 2030.

Environment chiefs fail to provide a forecast for when they believe pollution levels in the three zones will actually achieve the targets and blame watered-down European policies on road traffic emissions for the bleak outlook.

The report stated: “The emission factors for nitrogen oxides NO and NO2 from road traffic have been updated to reflect more accurate assumptions on the performance of modern diesel vehicles and older petrol cars.

“These projections do not take into account any additional measures to tackle NO2 beyond those included in the plans published in 2011.

“The assumptions, however, are more pessimistic than in previous projections. This is largely due to the failure of the European vehicle emission standards for diesel cars to deliver the expected emission reductions of NOx.”

The Government says it is currently updating air quality plans and it will continue to work with the European Commission and local authorities to consider further measures

Alan Andrews, ClientEarth lawyer, said: “The UK Government claims that 2025 is the earliest it can possibly achieve legal limits that have been in force since 2010. The European Court’s ruling could force them to take urgent action to cut pollution from diesel vehicles much sooner. The best way to achieve this is a national network of Low Emission Zones.“This ruling will also reach beyond the UK’s borders and could force governments across the EU to take action. Air pollution is Europe’s number one environmental health risk, causing nearly half a million early deaths each year. The earlier we can achieve these limits, the fewer people will be made sick or die early from heart attacks, asthma and strokes.”

ClientEarth’s case concerns 16 cities and regions including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. Air pollution causes 29,000 early deaths a year in the UK – more than traffic accidents and passive smoking combined.

via European Court of Justice to hear UK air pollution case today > National News > News | Click Green.

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NASA to Perform Air Quality Research Study

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA is launching the latest study in a project spanning four North American cities analyzing factors that lead to unhealthy air quality conditions.

NASA’s latest study will bring a King Air research aircraft and a P-3B to Boulder, Co., to examine what factors lead to ozone levels in summer that exceed national health standards. Colorado is the last stop for NASA’s research lead by the agency’s Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality DISCOVER-AQ team.

The overall goal of the study is to improve the capability of satellites to monitor air quality worldwide, the agency said.

“Satellites looking down through the atmosphere have a difficult time distinguishing between pollution at the surface and aloft,” said DISCOVER-AQ Principal Investigator Jim Crawford “The ‘vertically resolved’ observations gathered by the two NASA planes flying one above the other and above the ground sites offer the details needed to better understand how to connect these two views.”

Previous studies included a 2011 project in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area, California’s San Joaquin Valley in 2013 and Houston as well. According to NASA, the King Air will fly at 27,000 feet looking downward with remote sensors to measure the amount of gas and pollution below the aircraft. Simultaneously the P-3B will sample the vertical distribution of gas and pollution by “profiling from 1,000 and 15,000 feet above the surface,” NASA said.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will also receive air monitoring instruments from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA to measure nitrogen dioxide during the month-long air pollution study.

Data gathered from the study will be used to improve air quality models and the design of planned satellite observations of air quality over North America.

“What we learn from these flights will help us to better interpret satellite remote sensing of air quality from geostationary orbit in the future,” said Crawford. “It also will  help us to define the best combination of instruments on the ground to connect air quality monitoring networks with satellite information.”

via Avionics Magazine :: NASA to Perform Air Quality Research Study.

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Every Breath You Take: IBM Developing Project to Map and Control Beijing Air Pollution

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

China’s pollution crisis is receiving some necessary fresh air. On Monday, IBM ‘s China Research laboratory announced a partnership with the Beijing Municipal Government in a project aimed to ease the city’s toxic air pollution. The initiative will forecast and control air quality through state-of-the art computing technologies able to pinpoint the source and level of emissions released into the atmosphere.

IBM has 20 years of weather modeling experience, but Beijing’s numerous sources of pollution – the high concentration of cars, power plants and factories from surrounding areas among them – requires special supercomputer processing power that can predict pollution trends in real time. Beijing is one of China’s largest municipalities, and suffers from some of its worst air quality. The city will thus invest over $160 billion in the project and is committed to reducing harmful fine Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) particles by 25% in 2017. Xiaowei Shen, director of IBM Research in China, stated in a press release: “You not only have to build a model that can predict. You have to provide a decision system so that people can take proper action.”

The corporation is working with academics and industry gurus in addition to the city to pull data from meteorological satellites, local air quality monitoring stations to complement the corporation’s own cognitive computing and optical sensor technologies. The project will enable officials to take direct courses of action against further pollution, such as indicating where limiting traffic in the city could be most effective, or alerting residents in advance about air quality issues. Scientists will be able to construct visual maps depicting the source and strength of pollutants being poured into the atmosphere at least three days in advance, with the ability to target pollution down to the street level.

The air pollution project is part of a larger initiative entitled Green Horizon, aimed at boosting China’s sustainable growth through air quality management, energy optimization and renewable energy forecasting. IBM is developing a system intended to assist energy grids in managing alternative energy sources in addition to furthering the air pollution control project. Although the project is exclusive to Beijing thus far, the model could be utilized to improve air quality in other cities if successful.

The project appears promising although there is much legwork ahead. Dr. Lu Qiang, Professor at Tsinghua University and Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, states that the deep-rooted problem requires attacking from various angles. “The key to tackling environmental problems is not only monitoring emissions but adopting a comprehensive approach to air quality management and addressing the issues at their roots,” he says, “Initiatives like IBM’s Green Horizon can help by fostering joint innovation across the entire energy value chain.”

via Every Breath You Take: IBM Developing Project to Map and Control Beijing Air Pollution.

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Oxford Street revealed as worst place in the world for toxic pollutant nitrogen dioxide

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

Traders today said urgent action was needed to slash traffic levels after a report revealed Oxford Street has the highest levels of a toxic pollutant in the world.

The mayor is facing demands to reduce the build-up of the “wall of buses” after a monitor installed by scientists showed high levels of nitrogen dioxide – linked with asthma and heart attacks.

Levels peaked at 463 micrograms per cubic metre, while average day-and-night levels since the beginning of the year have been 135 – more than three times the EU’s safety limit.

Emissions scientist David Carslaw, from King’s College London, told the Sunday Times that the level of NO2, which is produced by diesel fumes that come from buses and taxis, was the highest in the world.

Richard Dickinson, chief executive of New West End Company which represents traders in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, said a reduction in traffic was essential.

He added: “We are working closely with the relevant London authorities to look at longer term traffic reduction initiatives and we are keen to see ideas rapidly put in place. Businesses in the West End want action.”

City Hall hit said it has already cut the number of buses on Oxford Street by a fifth.

It called reports claiming that London’s overall air pollution levels are higher than in Hong Kong, Rio, Moscow and New York were “misleading”.

People working in Oxford Street’s shops and stalls said they were worried about pollution levels along Britain’s busiest shopping street.

Ayaz Sohail, a worker at Sweet Touch snack stall next to Oxford Circus tube station, said: “I am aware that pollution is high in this area.

“The mayor has to do something. I don’t think they’re doing much about it.”

Pedicab driver James Anderson, 39, said: “I’m definitely worried about it but I think the Mayor is taking steps to deal with, by cutting the number of buses and putting in hybrid engines.

“My family hales from India originally. I can’t believe that London is more polluted than the cities out there, Delhi for instance.”

Awais Muhammed, 25, a worker at Souvenirs and Luggage on Oxford Street, said: “Only some of the buses are hybrid [electricity and diesel powered] on this street. They should make all the buses on here hybrid as soon as possible.”

At the Argyll Arms, Dan and Morgan Ferry, 27 and 26, from Notting Hill, called for Boris to ban all vehicles on Oxford Street.

Morgan, a librarian, said: “It was amazing over Christmas when the area was traffic free – perhaps it should be like that all year round.”

Dan added: “Britain is getting fined millions for missing targets to cut greenhouse emissions so I think we need radical action.”

But trainee solicitor Maria Gkikas, 25, from Bushy, Herts, sitting outside Cafe Nero, said: “The fumes not really that noticeable. It’s just part of living in a big city.”

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “Contrary to any misleading claims, London’s levels of air pollution are lower than many world cities. We know this because we are serious about monitoring pollution levels.

“To prevent severe episodes that cities like Beijing experience, the Mayor has overseen an ambitious package of measures including a comprehensive monitoring network which specifically target our most polluted areas.

“These measurements have led to the mayor reducing the number of buses on some of London’s busiest streets with high traffic congestion, like Oxford Street, and taking the most polluting buses and taxis off the road.

“This approach has already halved the number of Londoners living in areas above nitrogen dioxide (NO2) limits.

“The mayor is clear more needs to be done, which is why he has announced an Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London from 2020 which will be a world first game changer for the capitals air quality.”

via Oxford Street revealed as worst place in the world for toxic pollutant nitrogen dioxide – London – News – London Evening Standard.

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Respro® Masks FAQ: How long does the Bandit™ last before it needs replacing?

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

How long does the Bandit™ last before it needs replacing?

Under normal conditions the Bandit™ will provide the user with approximately six months protection. The Bandit incorporates D.A.C.C. which is specially coated so that it can be washed. It should be washed on a regular basis to maintain optimum performance. Immerse in a pan of boiling water (this releases the petroleum compounds pounds which are attracted to the D.A.C.C.) and leave to cool. Then wash in warm water using a non-automatic washing powder, rinse and leave to dry.

For more FAQ,  go to Respro® Mask FAQ

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Capital air quality among the best in Europe

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

AIR quality in the Capital is among the best in the European Union, a study by French environmental organisation Respire found.

Air pollution never exceeded “normal” levels with only Cluj-Napoca in Romania achieving the same level.

Edinburgh was ranked second in the list of 100 “larger” cities in the EU. Meanwhile Glasgow came in at number 29 with 33 days of below-average air quality levels.

The report said that Edinburgh narrowly missed out on the top spot by Cluj as the Romanian city had slightly lower average levels in the analysed air pollution indicators.

Other UK cities to make the top ten were Coventry, Cardiff and Manchester ranked third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Polluting factors of nitrous dioxide, small particles and ozone levels, were tested to determine the average number of days per year the air quality is below normal and potentially unhealthy to breathe.

Respire, which works to improve air quality across Europe, said there was little between the top two.

“Cluj-Napoca is in front of Edinburgh because it had a better annual average of nitrous dioxide (16 microgrammes per cubic metre to 24 microgrammes per m3).

“The difference is very low for ozone – 51 microgrammes per m3 in Edinburgh, 53 microgrammes per m3 in Cluj-Napoca.”

However, the researchers noted that the machines used to measure air pollution in Cluj were not as sensitive as in other areas of Europe and could have skewed the results.

The research, which was published in partnership with French magazine We Demain, rated London at 86th, ahead some of the worst performing of Sofia in Bulgaria and Milan in Italy, which suffered 320 and 272 days respectively of poor air quality.

Richard Dixon, director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, questioned the report’s findings.

He said that the key pollution testing sites which are reported to Europe are not in the most polluted parts of Scotland’s cities.

“There are certainly cities in Europe with worse air pollution problems than Edinburgh and Glasgow, but this report gives a falsely reassuring picture,” he said.

“More than 2,000 people die each year in Scotland because of air pollution and both of
our biggest cities have official pollution zones where levels consistently break European and Scottish health standards. It is clearly no consolation that other places in Europe are worse off.

“We need much more action to reduce traffic levels if we are to solve the air pollution problems in urban areas.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Scottish Government takes air quality extremely seriously and we welcome this report, showing our capital city has the second-best air quality in the whole of Europe.

“By working with Scotland’s 32 local authorities, we continue to make progress. We have made significant reductions in air pollutants since 1990 and further decreases are predicted, given our knowledge of the likely impacts of investment.”

via Capital air quality among the best in Europe – Edinburgh Evening News.

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When Air Quality in Beijing and Shanghai is Least Awful

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

What is the best time of year to avoid air pollution in Beijing?

Some might say this is a trick question, given the notorious smog levels in China’s capital. But thanks to an analysis by China Real Time, as the summer holiday gets underway, we can safely advise air-quality-minded tourists to stay away for the next couple months. Spring and fall are the best times to visit.

Smog has helped discourage tourism to Beijing over the past year, with the number of overseas tourists falling 10% in 2013 from 2012, the official Xinhua news agencyreported earlier this week, citing a paper authored by the Beijing Tourism Society. Among the reasons, Xinhua said, was air pollution.

To produce our seasonal guide to Beijing air quality, CRT crunched historical data on Beijing’s air pollution from the U.S. State Department, which was gathered via a monitor installed at the U.S. Embassy in 2008. The State Department cautions the data hasn’t been fully verified or validated, as the readings come from one isolated monitoring station that frequently broke down in its early days.

Still, they provide plenty of insights. Based on data collected for 47,563 hours between April 2008 and April 2014 — roughly 89% of the hours over the past six years — Beijing’s annual concentration of tiny particulate matter, known as PM2.5, averages to 99 micrograms per cubic meter. That’s more than eight times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s annual standard of 12 micrograms per cubic meter. High concentrations of PM2.5 — particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in length — increases risks for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as lung cancer, according to the World Health Organization.

However, some months in Beijing are better than others. Our analysis shows that visitors can enjoy relatively “cleaner” air in May, which has an average concentration of 85 micrograms per cubic meter. Avoid February, which has an average concentration of 122 micrograms per cubic meter.

“Meteorology plays a big role,” says Renyi Zhang, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University. Mr. Zhang says Beijing’s fall and spring often ushers in winds from the north that blow away air pollutants. Meanwhile, “the air is kind of stagnant in the winter and summer,” he says.

Another factor could be emissions from coal-fired power plants and other industrial activities, according to Mr. Zhang. Both summer and winter coincide with higher emissions from the burning of coal for heat and the use of electricity from coal-fired power plants for air conditioning, he says.

Visitors may also want to consider simply spending their vacation in Shanghai, which has a lower average annual PM2.5 concentration of 56 micrograms per cubic meter, based on our analysis of State Department data collected over the past three years.

When it comes to air pollution, Shanghai’s best season is the fall — particularly August, when the average concentration of PM2.5 is just 21 micrograms per cubic meter. Visitors should avoid Shanghai in December, when the average concentration rises to 92 micrograms per cubic meter, levels that are comparable to Beijing.

Mr. Zhang says the geography is the major reason why the two cities have such different air-pollution levels. Shanghai is close to the ocean, while Beijing is far from the coastline. “Shanghai’s wind predominantly comes from the ocean, which normally carries cleaner air,” he says.

via When Air Quality in Beijing and Shanghai is Least Awful – China Real Time Report – WSJ.

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Fireworks: Hazardous to air quality and health

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Respro® UK Ltd

Local air officials are reminding residents that Independence Day fireworks increase levels of dangerous particulate matter, posing a threat to air quality and health.

Fireworks emit large quantities of particulate matter, including soot, ash and metals. These can trigger serious health problems, especially in people with existing respiratory conditions, elderly people and small children, officials said.

Fine-particulate matter can invade the bloodstream and has been linked to heart attacks and strokes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, even short-term exposure to smoke can aggravate respiratory problems such as asthma attacks and acute bronchitis.

“Steps that people should take to avoid exposure to high levels of particulates produced by fireworks include staying away from fireworks as they are burned, such as staying inside,” San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District spokeswoman Janelle Schneider said via email.

Asked if common dust masks available in hardware stores offer protection, she said, “the air district is not expert on their use or effectiveness.” But she referenced an EPA document that says, “Paper ‘comfort’ or ‘dust’ masks … are designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks generally will not protect your lungs from the fine particles in smoke.”

High levels of particulate matter can also jeopardize the Valley’s progress in meeting air-quality standards set to protect public health.

“We’re appealing to Valley residents to think about the impact of fireworks on their personal health and their neighbors’ health,” Jaime Holt, the air district’s chief communications officer, said in a news release. “Each year, people suffer from serious health consequences of activities that are entirely preventable.”

Officials urge residents to refrain from lighting fireworks because air quality in the Valley during summer is already burdened by ozone pollution. Fireworks emissions add to what already may be poor air quality.

Air monitors throughout the Valley show a typical increase in particulate matter pollution every year following fireworks displays.

“The return to low particulate levels can vary depending on other factors that surround fireworks use, such as stagnant atmosphere or other events (wildfires, etc.),” Schneider said. “In Fresno last year, PM2.5 (fine particles) levels rocketed up to extremely unhealthy around 11 p.m. but fell back to low levels within a couple of hours. However, there are no guarantees as to the behavior of PM from fireworks as extenuating circumstances vary from city to city.

“The most important message we wish to emphasize is that it is far easier to maintain acceptable air quality by not lighting fireworks in the first place.”

Residents can check local air quality data through the Air District’s Real-time Air Advisory Network found at http://www.valleyair.org/RAAN.

via Fireworks: Hazardous to air quality and health | Local News | Merced Sun-Star.

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