Pollution league tables for UK urban areas reveal the expected and unexpected

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

The Bedfordshire town of Luton has come bottom of a league table of predicted city-wide air pollution concentrations among UK cities, according to new analysis by the Universities of Birmingham and Lancaster.

The Bedfordshire town of Luton has come bottom of a league table of predicted city-wide air pollution concentrations among UK cities, according to new analysis by the Universities of Birmingham and Lancaster.

Although Luton’s air pollution emissions are about as expected for its population, the town’s compactness limits dispersal of pollution, meaning it drops to last place among the 146 most populous UK places in terms of predicted air pollution concentrations.

At the other end of the scale, Milton Keynes and Stoke on Trent fare much better than expected, for their respective sizes, with average-to-poor emissions of air pollution mitigated substantially by better dispersal of pollution into less compact city spaces.

The new study, published in Environmental Research Letters, was carried out by researchers in the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research and colleagues in Lancaster University’s Environment Centre. The team used government statistics to build relationships between a city’s population, built-up area, air pollution released, and expected city-wide pollution concentrations.

The resulting relationships predict what emissions and concentrations are expected for an urban area of any population in the UK.

The team then compared the 146 most populous urban areas across the UK with their predictions to find which settlements were performing relatively better or worse than expected.

The league table for emissions measures how efficiently a city moves people and heats homes compared to the UK average for its population-size. The league table for city-wide concentrations shows how the area of a city modifies the effect of its emissions to give better- or worse-than-expected pollution concentrations across the urban area.

The study looked at a range of air pollutants but focused on traffic-generated nitrogen oxides, which are a major health concern in cities. The relationship converting government emissions statistics into city-wide pollutant concentrations was shown to be consistent with that derived for other cities from satellite measurements.

Key findings included:

  • Many cities across the Midlands are performing worse than expected, both in terms of emissions and expected concentrations; both Royal Leamington Spa and Coventry start poor in terms of emissions and slide further, towards the bottom of the league, when considering expected concentrations of city-wide pollution
  • Other cities performing worse than expected include Crawley, Cardiff and Stevenage
  • London is just outside the top 20 for emissions, i.e. doing much better than expected for its size, but is only mid-table for city-wide pollution concentrations
  • Weybridge, Aldershot and Macclesfield, in England, along with Livingston in Scotland, benefit greatly from having space to disperse their pollutants, as do Milton Keynes and Stoke-on-Trent

Lead author Professor Rob MacKenzie of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research explains: “What we’re interested in is not just how much pollution is produced, but how much is in the air. Our new study shows how effective the particular urban form of a city – its layout and the types of building – is in dispersing the pollution.

“For example, Milton Keynes is at the top of our list, doing much better than we would expect with the biggest gap between the amount of pollution produced and the concentrations in the air we breathe. The town’s middling rank for emissions reflects personal transport choices and the town’s traffic management; it’s much better-than-expected performance for concentrations reflects the way the city is laid out, with its distinctive mix of grids and roundabouts, and the inclusion of parks and green spaces, which all contribute to this overall effect.

“In contrast, we have Luton right down at the bottom. This is a more densely populated urban area doesn’t gain much benefit from its compactness in terms of emissions and its compactness works against dispersion of pollution resulting in worse-than-expected city-wide concentrations.”

Dr Duncan Whyatt of Lancaster Environment Centre added: “London appears right in the middle of our pollution concentration table, having done well in terms of lower emissions for its size. The lower-than-expected emissions may be to do with the intense concentration of effort in moving high volumes of people through and around the city. Its well-developed public infrastructure, means that, for its size, it produces less pollution emissions than, say, Birmingham, which is still very heavily car-dependent.”

This study offers valuable insights for urban planners who can start to take a closer look at the cities that do particularly well for pollution dispersal and analyse what elements should be prioritised to improve overall air quality in future city design.

“Using this type of analysis will help planners make those important decisions that find the right balance between spreading out urban development and providing sufficient green spaces, but also managing emissions by transporting people efficiently and heating homes efficiently,” says Professor MacKenzie.

via Pollution league tables for UK urban areas reveal the expected and unexpected

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Air pollution soars in Thai capital, authorities issue warning

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

Authorities in Thailand’s capital warned people to wear face masks or stay indoors on Thursday after choking air pollution returned to Bangkok following months of clear air in one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

The national Pollution Control Department issued the warning as the amount of hazardous dust particles known as PM 2.5 exceeded the safe level in three areas around the capital.

PM 2.5 is a mixture of liquid droplets and solid particles that can include dust, soot and smoke, one of the main measures of the Air Quality Index (AQI).

Thursday morning’s AQI was 170, according to airvisual.com, which measures levels in cities worldwide.

The AQI is considered “unhealthy” when the level is above 150, meaning there is an “increased likelihood of adverse effects and aggravation to the heart and lungs among the general public”, according to airvisual.com.

No cause was given for the deterioration in the air quality, which tends to get worse in the dry season from December to April.

Residents in the city of about 10 million complained about the air quality and problems such as asthma and allergies.

“Something is wrong with my health because I’m suffocating as I breathe,” said Pitak Meesopa, a 58-year-old minibus driver who said that in the past year he had been suffering with an allergy and had to wear a mask frequently.

“My eyes are always in pain and itchy,” he said.Air pollution forced the closure of some schools in Bangkok earlier this year and Thailand’s northern provinces, including Chiang Mai, were hit by dangerous levels of dust particles in April.

via Air pollution soars in Thai capital, authorities issue warning – Reuters

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Depression and suicide linked to air pollution in new global study

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

Cutting toxic air might prevent millions of people getting depression, research suggests

People living with air pollution have higher rates of depression and suicide, a systematic review of global data has found.

Cutting air pollution around the world to the EU’s legal limit could prevent millions of people becoming depressed, the research suggests. This assumes that exposure to toxic air is causing these cases of depression. Scientists believe this is likely but is difficult to prove beyond doubt.

The particle pollution analysed in the study is produced by burning fossil fuels in vehicles, homes and industry. The researchers said the new evidence further strengthened calls to tackle what the World Health Organization calls the “silent public health emergency” of dirty air.

“We’ve shown that air pollution could be causing substantial harm to our mental health, making the case for cleaning up the air we breathe even more urgent,” said Isobel Braithwaite, at University College London (UCL), who led the research.

Meeting the EU limit could make a big difference, she said. “You could prevent about 15% of depression, assuming there is a causal relationship. It would be a very large impact, because depression is a very common disease and is increasing.” More than 264 million people have depression, according to the WHO.

“We know that the finest particulates from dirty air can reach the brain via both the bloodstream and the nose, and that air pollution has been implicated in increased [brain] inflammation, damage to nerve cells and to changes in stress hormone production, which have been linked to poor mental health,” Braithwaite said.

Joseph Hayes, also at UCL and part of the research team, said: “The evidence is highly suggestive that air pollution itself increases the risk of adverse mental health outcomes.”

The research, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, used strict quality criteria to select and pool research data from 16 countries published up to 2017. This revealed a strong statistical link between toxic air and depression and suicide. This is supported by more recent research, including studies that linked air pollution with “extremely high mortality” in people with mental disorders and a quadrupled risk of depression in teenagers.

Other research indicates that air pollution causes a “huge” reduction in intelligence and is linked to dementia. A comprehensive global review earlier in 2019 concluded that air pollution may be damaging every organ and virtually every cell in the human body.

The data analysed in the new research linked depression with air pollution particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres (equivalent to 0.0025 millimetres and known as PM2.5). People exposed to an increase of 10 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) in the level of PM2.5 for a year or more had a 10% higher risk of getting depression. Levels of PM2.5 in cities range from as high as 114µg/m3 in Delhi, India, to just 6µg/m3 in Ottawa, Canada.

In UK cities in 2017, the average PM2.5 level was 13µg/m3. The researchers estimated that lowering this to the WHO recommended limit of 10µg/m3 could reduce depression in city dwellers by about 2.5%.

The available data on suicide risk was for particles ranging up to 10 micrometres (PM10). The researchers found a short-term effect, with a 10µg/m3 increase over three days raising the risk of suicide by 2%.

Scientists say small increases in risk can still result in harm to many people because more than 90% of the global population lives with air pollution above WHO-recommended levels. “This is something everyone is exposed to, so at the population level it is potentially concerning,” said Braithwaite.

The results show strong correlations, but research that would prove a causal link is difficult because ethical experiments cannot deliberately expose people to harm. The studies analysed took account of many factors that might affect mental health, including home location, income, education, smoking, employment and obesity. But they were not able to separate the potential impact of noise, which often occurs alongside air pollution and is known to have psychological effects.

“This is a comprehensive review over a 40-year period,” said Ioannis Bakolis, at King’s College London, not part of the research team. “Although the studies included were from different parts of the world – eg China, the US, Germany – and varied in sample size, study design and measures of depression, the reported associations were very similar.”

But he said the evidence remained limited and more research was needed. In particular, understanding the impact of pollution reduction on mental health would give policymakers further evidence of the benefits of action.

“We all need to do what we can to reduce our own contribution to air pollution, whether that is walking or cycling,” said Braithwaite. “But we also need to be thinking about system change, meaning [government] policies that help reduce overall air pollution levels.” The researchers said walking, cycling and more green spaces not only cut air pollution but also improved mental health.

In the UK and Republic of Ireland, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14.

via Depression and suicide linked to air pollution in new global study | Environment | The Guardian

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Belgium has the most new asthma patients due to air pollution in Europe

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

One in three new cases of people who develop asthma under the age of 18 is due to the bad air quality in Belgium, according to new figures from the Independent health insurance funds.

The Independent Health Insurance Funds (the Onafhankelijk ziekenfonds and Partena) surveyed 441,696 of their members between the ages of 2 and 18, and found that the percentage of people taking asthma medication, meaning they are presumably suffering from asthma, is 12.9%. For comparison, the Belgian average, which also includes adults, is at 8%.

“This is very valuable information,” said Guy Brusselle, a lung specialist at the UZ Gent hospital, who collected the data. However, not every child up to 6 years old taking medication necessarily has asthma. “During this period of the year, many children have RSV (the virus at the origin of a very common respiratory infection in infants), for which they will also receive asthma medication,” he added.

“Only after the age of 6, children can cooperate with a lung function test enough to be diagnosed with certainty. However, a large number of young people in our country indeed have asthma, as we see in practice,” Brusselle added.

The figures also show that one in three teenagers who took medication against asthma in 2018 did not use it in the previous five years, meaning they are new patients.

The American George Washinton University published a study based on measurements taken in 2015, which links the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in the air to the number of new asthma patients under the age of 18, in 194 countries. According to the study, Belgium and the Netherlands are ‘champions’ in having new asthma patients due to nitrogen dioxide.

“20 to 30% of new asthma patients can be attributed to nitrogen dioxide,” said Brusselle. “This confirms what we already knew: in addition to passive smoking, air pollution is the major risk factor for the development of asthma in children,” he added.

Nitrogen dioxide is a substance that, together with fine dust and ozone, causes air pollution, as well as pollution in the smallest branches of our airways. Nitrogen oxides are mainly released when fossil fuels are burned, in agriculture and industry but also in traffic.

Flanders and the Netherlands are both densely populated and have a high volume of traffic, explaining the high numbers, according to Brusselle. “From a historical point of view, diesel cars have been favoured fiscally, for a long time. On the other hand, there are also our motorways, along which many people live,” he said, adding that anyone living 50 to 100 metres from a busy road is at an increased risk of respiratory diseases.

“Strong reduction of nitrogen oxides and fine dust could prevent new cases,” said Wies Kestens of the Independent Health Insurance Funds, reports Het Nieuwsblad. 4,000 fewer children a year would be affected if Belgium keeps its nitrogen emissions to a minimum, according to a calculation by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

via Belgium has the most new asthma patients due to air pollution in Europe

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The NHS is facing a winter crisis – and it’s being exacerbated by air pollution

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

That’s the ominous warning from a group of 175 doctors and health professionals, who say the government must focus on improving air quality across the country

The NHS is facing a winter crisis – and it’s being exacerbated by air pollution.

That’s the ominous warning from a group of 175 doctors and health professionals, who say the government must focus on improving air quality across the country.

The medical staff have written a letter to the media explaining how accident and emergency departments and doctor’s surgeries are ‘overwhelmed’, in which they highlight how for the first time ever this month, every major accident and emergency unit in England failed to hit its four-hour waiting time target.

The health professionals note hospitals are reporting an increase in patients with acute respiratory conditions and a “further increase in young children aged under one” attending for bronchitis and bronchiolitis symptoms.

They point out data from King’s College London suggests living near a busy road can increase the risk of asthmatic children getting bronchitis symptoms by up to 11.5%, while the risk of emergency hospitalisations for pneumonia in children is generally around 2% higher on high-pollution days than on low-pollution days.

The letter claims cutting air pollution by a fifth could result in 4,481 fewer children suffering from acute bronchitis each year across seven cities in the UK and urges Prime Minister Boris Johnson to use the upcoming Queen’s Speech to commit to cutting air pollution levels to World Health Organization limits and provide additional funding for the NHS.

Professor Stephen Holgate, Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology at the University of Southampton, Royal College of Physicians’ Special Adviser on Air Quality and one of the UK’s Clean Air Champions, said: “Air pollution is the public health problem of our time. The government must give this the highest priority for the sake of the country’s health.”

Dr Aaarti Bansal, a GP in Sheffield said: “I have been shocked at how much severe asthma I am seeing in our patients in an area of documented high air pollution.

“Acting on poisonous air will save lives now, reduce health inequalities and mitigate the impact of the climate crisis for our children. It’s a no-brainer.”

via The NHS is facing a winter crisis – and it’s being exacerbated by air pollution – Energy Live News

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Air pollution is breaking our hearts: Human and marine health is affected in similar ways

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

Air pollution is associated with detrimental effects on human health, including increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Research published today in The Journal of Physiology by researchers at The University of Manchester shows that the knowledge we have about how pollution harms the hearts of marine species can be applied to humans, as the underlying mechanisms are similar. In other words, knowledge gained from the marine ecosystem might help protect the climate and health of our planet, whilst also helping human health.

Around 11,000 coronary heart disease and stroke deaths in the UK each year are attributable to air pollution, specifically due to particulate matter (PM), or small particles in the air that cause health problems. PM2.5 is one of the finest and most dangerous type of PM, is a compound for which the UK has failed to meet EU limits.

Researchers of this study looked across all vertebrates and particularly focused on a set of compounds that binds to the surface of PM, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) as the amount of PAH on PM is associated with the detrimental affect air pollution has on the heart.

While air pollution is known to be dangerous to humans, it actually only became a widely-researched topic in the past five years or so. In marine species however, the mechanism of how PAH pollution causes heart problems is well understood.

Studies after the 1999 Exxon Valdez oil spill showed that the ecosystem still has not recovered 20 years on. In 2010, research on fish after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which released large quantities of PAHs into the marine environment, showed that the heart’s ability to contract was impaired.

Dr Holly Shiels, senior author on the study, from The University of Manchester said:

“Pollution affects all of us living on Planet Earth. Due to the conserved nature of cardiac function amongst animals, fish exposed to PAH from oil spills can serve as indicators, providing significant insights into the human health impacts of PAHs and PM air pollution.”

Dr Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, which partly funded the research presented in this review, commented:

“We know that air pollution can have a hugely damaging effect on heart and circulatory health, and this review summarises mechanisms potentially contributing to impaired?heart function. Reducing air pollution is crucial to protecting our heart health, which is why the BHF is calling on the next Government to commit to reducing air pollution to within WHO limits.”

via Air pollution is breaking our hearts: Human and marine health is affected in similar ways | EurekAlert! Science News

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Sydney Air Pollution: Sydney is Australia records AQI 12 times the hazardous level, health warnings issued

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

When we think about air pollution, Delhi is the first city that comes in our mind. But this piece has to be about Sydney which on Tuesday, witnessed air pollution about 12 times the ‘hazardous’ level.

The Air Quality Index compiled by the state environment department reached as high as 2,552 in some eastern suburbs, soaring past the “hazardous” threshold of 200.

The pollution had to do with the smoke blowing all the way over Sydney from the recent Australia bushfires. The pollution was so severe that it set off fire alarms all over the city. Ferry services had to be suspended altogether. So much so that the Sydney Opera House and harbour bridge were completely covered in the thick haze and hardly visible. Flight arrivals at Sydney Airport were delayed by up to 30 minutes due to poor visibility.

Locals found it difficult to breathe because of the smoke and many complained of stinging eyes. Health warnings were issued soon after. According to the available data, the number of people seeking treatment at Sydney hospitals increased by about 25% in just a day.

Authorities warned people with respiratory conditions, or heart and lung problems, to stay indoors. Office workers were seen wearing face masks in the street, an unusual sight in a city more used to clear blue skies and clean air.

Some 2.7 million hectares of land, with a perimeter of 19,235 kilometres, have been burnt so far this bushfire season in Australia.

via Sydney Air Pollution: Sydney is Australia records AQI 12 times the hazardous level, health warnings issued | Skymet Weather Services

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Polluted air in Iran sends over 12,800 citizens to hospitals

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Respro® UK Ltd

Air pollution has caused respiratory and cardiac problems for residents of big cities of the country over the past few days, sending 12,838 people to hospitals, Pir-Hossein Kolivand, head of Emergency Medical Services Organization said.

High concentration of particulate matter during November 24-29, caused 12,838 people to refer to medical centers and hospitals, 5,100 of whom were suffering from respiratory problems and 7,730 others from cardiovascular diseases, he explained.

Isfahan, Alborz and Tehran provinces had the highest number of patients, respectively, Kolivand stated, IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.
Polluted air also resulted in closure of schools and universities on Saturday.

Tehraners breathe 47 days of foul air this year

Tehran air quality index (AQI) reached an unhealthy level of pollution for 47 days since the beginning of this year (March 21), according to a report published by the Tehran Air Quality Control Company.

An AQI is used to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become.

The index categorizes conditions according to a measure of polluting matters into excellent (0-50), good (51-100), lightly polluted or unhealthy for sensitive groups (101-150), moderately polluted (151-200), heavily polluted (201-300) and severely polluted (301-500).

During the aforementioned period, 45 days got lightly polluted, while air quality reached unhealthy levels for 2 days which was almost dangerous for all the residents.

This is while, last year over the same period 34 days were unhealthy for sensitive groups, and Tehraners did not breathe a single day of heavily polluted air.

The leading cause of air pollution in the capital is PM 2.5, PM 10 and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).

via Polluted air in Iran sends over 12,800 citizens to hospitals – Tehran Times

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