Air Pollution, Cycling, and Health Emilia Hanna Air Pollution Campaigner Friends of the Earth Scotland Presentation to Spokes Public Meeting 13 June

In this presentation What is the air quality situation in Scotland? Health impacts of air pollution: hope for cyclists Health inequalities: vulnerable people are worst impacted by air pollution

Edinburgh’s City Centre Pollution Zone A Pollution Zone or “Air Quality Management Area” is an area where the local authority has declared that Scottish statutory air quality standards are being broken.

Scotland is in breach of the European Ambient Air Quality Directive 2008/50/EC -Sets a binding 2010 deadline for all Member States to meet legal limits for several pollutants including NO 2 -The Supreme Court found the UK to be in breach of the Directive in many cities including in Glasgow -New plans are under currently under scrutiny

Air pollution: impacts on health “Air pollution plays a role in many of the major health challenges of our day, and has been linked to: -cancer, -asthma, -stroke and heart disease, -diabetes, -obesity, -changes linked to dementia.” “This damage occurs across a lifetime, from a baby’s first weeks in the womb all the way through to the years of older age.” 22,474 life years lost in Scotland per year from PM2.5 – equivalent to >2000 deaths

Hope for Cyclists: (1) Cyclists do not necessarily breathe in higher levels of air pollution than motorists

Hope for Cyclists: (2) Benefits of cycling outweigh the harm caused by air pollution Health benefits of physical activity Harm caused by air pollution M Tainio et al, “Can air pollution negate the health benefits of cycling and walking?” Preventive Medicine Vol 87, June 2016, Pages 233–236

Hope for Cyclists (3) By cycling, you are part of the solution Sevilla, Spain: Modal share increase from 0.5% to 7% between 2006 and 2013 Nitrogen Dioxide in Sevilla decreased from 52 μg/m3 in 2000 to 25 μg/m3 in 2012 (the European legal limit is 40μg/m3 Success “due to the implementation of a complete pack of traffic demand management measures including cycling.”

Health inequalities and air pollution: (1) People living in deprivation are disproportionately impacted by air pollution

Health inequalities and air pollution (2) Unborn children adversely impacted ImpactAssociated with…Pollutants responsible Premature birthInconvenience Disability Mortality risk Ozone Sulphur Dioxide Low Birth WeightLow lung function Asthma Obesity COPD Early death in adulthood Particulate Matter (Nitrogen Dioxide?) Direct toxification through heavy metals crossing the placenta Neurodevelopmental harm Lower cognitive function & IQ ADHD Autism(?) Mercury Lead Find out more: Royal College of Physicians, Feb 2016:“Every Breath we Take: The lifelong impact of air pollution”

What can I do? 1. Join Friends of the Earth and support our air pollution campaign 2. your new MSPs about air pollution

Thanks for listening! Sources: Locations of Scotland’s Pollution Zones: Impacts on health & health inequalities: Public Health England (2014): “Estimating Local Mortality Burdens associated with Particulate Air Pollution” Royal College of Physicians (2016): “Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution” Different transport modes & exposure: “Londoners measure personal air pollution exposure” (2013), Air Quality News “Which transport option is the healthiest?” (2014), Healthy Air Campaign Weighing physical benefits v air pollution harm for cyclists: Tainio et al, “Can air pollution negate the health benefits of cycling and walking?” Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 87, June 2016, Pages 233–236 Sevilla: European Cycling Federation, “CYCLING AND URBAN AIR QUALITY: A study of European Experiences” (2014)

After birth: early years Greater risk of death Exacerbation of respiratory infections Effects on the normal growth of lungs and lung function during childhood  but this can be reversible Impacts on neurodevelopment and cognitive health

How bad does the air have to be for effects to be seen? “In studies that have examined ‘dose’ effects of air pollution, harmful effects have been detected at current regulatory levels and there appears to be no lower limit below which harmful effects do not occur.”