Go Low Forum Air pollution and Health Richard Taylor Nottingham City Council: Environmental Health and Safer Places

Air and pollution The air we breathe is mostly nitrogen and oxygen. But natural and human activities emit other gases and particles into the air which affect our health and the environment

Air Quality - World Health Organisation ‘Outdoor air pollution is a major environmental health problem affecting everyone in developed and developing countries alike’. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. Ambient (outdoor air pollution) in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in United kingdom Poor air quality was estimated to have brought forward the deaths of 28,000 people in the UK in 2012 (revised to 40,000 in Feb 2016) In our recent joint report with Public Health to the Health and Wellbeing board we estimated that this equates to over 1500 deaths brought forward in Nottingham and over 4200 in Nottinghamshire per year. Recent scientific evidence demonstrates adverse health effects from particles (2013) and nitrogen dioxide (2015) at levels below EU/UK air quality objectives Nottingham has two Air Quality Management Areas for nitrogen dioxide Particle levels in UK and Nottingham exceed WHO guidelines

Air Pollution shortens lives 1952 – it was estimated ‘died early’ due to ‘the great smog’ it was estimated 29,000 ‘died early’ from invisible air pollution Jan 2016 – 29,000 is revised upward to 40,000 Air pollution ‘episodes’: prolonged periods of high concentrations – a combination emissions and weather conditions; have the most noticeable effect

Air Pollution Episodes cause life threatening acute effects, and exacerbate chronic respiratory illnesses… February 2014 – EU announces infraction proceedings against UK Spring 2014 meteorology causes prolonged pollution episode and news headlines

LAQM: Air Quality Objectives to protect health Pollutant Air Quality Objective Date to be achieved by ConcentrationMeasured as Benzene µg/m 3 Running annual mean µg/m 3 Running annual mean ,3-Butadiene2.25 µg/m 3 Running annual mean Carbon monoxide10.0 mg/m 3 Running 8-hour mean Lead 0.5 µg/m 3 Annual mean µg/m 3 Annual mean Nitrogen dioxide 200 µg/m 3 not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year 1-hour mean µg/m 3 Annual mean Particles (PM 10 ) (gravimetric) 50 µg/m 3, not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year 24-hour mean µg/m 3 Annual mean Sulphur dioxide 350 µg/m 3, not to be exceeded more than 24 times a year 1-hour mean µg/m 3, not to be exceeded more than 3 times a year 24-hour mean µg/m 3, not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year 15-minute mean

Environment Act 1995 Part 3: Local Air Quality Management the process identified areas where the nitrogen dioxide annual mean air quality objective of 40ug/m3 would not be met

Nottingham - Monitored levels NO2 annual mean AQO =40 ug/m3 BUT health effects observed at ug/m3 PM10 annual mean AQO = 40 ug/m3 WHO guide 20 ug/m3 PM2.5 indicative annual mean (England) = 25 ug/m3 WHO guide = 10 ug/m3 BUT no safe exposure limit

Clean Air Zone – what we know

Clean Air Zones

Many pieces to the solution for better environmental and public health … Reducing use of carbon based fuels – energy efficiency, process design, insulating industrial, commercial and residential buildings – Hybrid, electric, hydrogen fuelled vehicles to reduce emissions at tail-pipe point of use – Sustainable personal transport/travel mix and choices: walking, cycling, public transport – needed to prevent congestion and gridlock that could happen if we simply replace petrol and diesel vehicles