The members are town councillors Joan Bland, Laila Meachin and Dieter Hinke, county councillor Peter Skolar and residents Roy Atkin, C Langer and H Legh.
According to the latest air quality report, Duke Street has the highest nitrogen dioxide levels in South Oxfordshire.
The average annual reading was 63.7 microgrammes per cubic metre, more than 50 per cent above the 40mcm objective set by Air Quality England.
With its parks, centuries-old palaces, history and culture, Beijing should be one of the more pleasant capitals of the world. Instead, it’s considered among the worst to live in because of chronic air pollution.
Lung cancer rates are rising among the 20 million residents of China’s capital, health officials say. For many multinational companies, Beijing is considered a hardship posting and, despite the extra allowances that classification brings, some executives are leaving.
Over the last seven years, Chinese have become more aware of the devastating effects of air pollution. PM stands for damaging air pollutants called “particulate matter,” and 2.5 refers to their size in microns a unit of measurement that is a millionth of a meter. Exposure to high levels of PM 2.5 can irritate the respiratory tract, worsen asthma and bronchitis, and eventually lead to increased mortality from lung cancer and heart disease.
via From House Slaves to Banana People – By Eveline Chao | Foreign Policy.
US embassy twitter feed @beijingair
How the air quality index works, AQI
The UK Government has issued an “air pollution alert” on the eve of the opening of the London Olympic Games.
Following high levels of ozone recorded in North Kensington, Government scientists are warning that some air pollutants may reach higher levels as the wind-less and hot conditions continue.
And Defra is warning that while most of the capital’s population will not be affected by sort-term spikes in ozone levels, some people, particularly vulnerable groups such as those with existing heart and lung conditions, may experience increased symptoms.
For more information about air quality in London and to check current pollution levels: Defra or London Air
To find out more about the effects of air pollution and how to protect yourself, read Why wear a mask. Or go to our website www.respro.com to get your Respro® mask.
The Green Party has called for air pollution masks to be distributed to children attending schools within 150 metres of busy roads in Tower Hamlets to protect their health. Almost one in every five children in the East End is afflicted by asthma.
Face masks can help protect those with coronary heart disease (CHD) from symptoms and health effects triggered by exposure to polluted air, a study from Beijing, China finds. Heart disease symptoms and blood pressure were both reduced when older men and women diagnosed with CHD wore the masks while walking in the city. The masks effectively filtered out almost all of the harmful fine and ultrafine particles released from cars and other traffic in the urban area.
The results show that individual actions – in this case, wearing a special, high-efficiency mask – can alleviate some health effects linked to more serious cardiovascular problems in those susceptible to urban air pollution. It also supports previous studies showing that breathing air pollution contributes to cardiovascular health effects.
The findings are most important for people in large, highly-polluted cities in developing countries where efforts to improve air quality are limited.
via Masks can cut air pollution risks. — Environmental Health News.
Read more about wearing masks: Why wear a mask?
A breath of fresh air for Games visitors and athletes as ERG at King’s College London launch an updated website and air pollution apps.
The free London Air website and apps provide a map of Olympic venues along with air pollution information updated hourly, enabling people to see at a glance the pollution levels nearby. Hourly updated maps give street-by-street pollution levels to help London visitors to avoid exposure to highest levels of air pollution in the city, particularly if they are susceptible to respiratory problems.
via Environmental Research Group (ERG) :: King’s College London :: Latest News.
High temperatures and easterly winds that are forecast to persist until Friday look likely to create a “perfect storm” of smog pollution that could affect the performance of athletes at the start of the Olympics, experts warned on Wednesday.
Health experts have warned that summer smog could cause problems such as the inflammation of airways and breathing problems for London 2012 competitors, especially those in endurance events.
“Athletes are thought to be especially vulnerable to the effects of ground level ozone and other air pollutants because they are breathing in very high volumes of air,” said Gary Fuller, an air quality expert at King’s College London. “It’s something that might affect their performance on the day.”
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