Air pollution ‘largest environmental risk to public health in UK’

March 11, 2019
London: Public Health England (PHE) has put forward a series of recommendations aimed at reducing the 28,000 to 36,000 deaths a year in Britain attributed to long-term exposure to polluted air.

One recommendation in the 250-page PHE report published here on Monday was for town and city councils to be given powers to implement no-idling zones to stop people leaving their car engines running while waiting outside schools, hospitals and care homes.

Another proposal would see low-emission or clean air zones to discourage the most highly polluting vehicles from entering populated areas, Xinhua news agency reported.

The report said that air pollution was the biggest environmental threat to health in Britain with strong evidence that air pollution causes the development of coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, lung cancer and exacerbates asthma.

“The evidence is clear on the scale of harm from air pollution. It is the largest environmental risk to the public’s health in the UK,” warned the report.

“People are exposed to outdoor air pollution in the places where they live, work and spend their leisure time. Whilst there are opportunities for individuals to reduce their personal exposure, or that of their children, these are limited,” it said.

The document said that public spaces should be redesigned so people aren’t so close to highly polluting roads by making streets wider or using green hedges to screen against pollutants. There should also be more investment in clean public transport, footpaths and cycle paths.

Professor Paul Cosford, PHE’s Medical Director, said: “Action is needed at all levels to address this unacceptable, serious and avoidable source of harm to our health. We all have a role to play in helping to make sure that the air that we, and future generations, breathe is clean air.”

Cosford said a key challenge was the commonly held view that actions to reduce air pollution run counter to economic growth and development.

In January, the British government announced a “Clean Air Strategy” setting out plans to meet ambitious legally binding international targets to reduce emission of the five most damaging air pollutants by 2030. It will be followed by a wider Environment Bill.

IANS

Study decodes how land conditions impact summer monsoons in Asia

Tokyo: A team of Japanese researchers have identified how conditions on land will impact weather during summer monsoons in Asia. Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University used numerical simulations to analyse...

Deficit snowfall poses growing risk of glacial lake outburst in Himalayas, warn glaciologists

Shimla: The reduced snowfall in the Himalayas increases glacial lakes that pose a growing risk of lake outburst floods in the Himalayas, warn glaciologists. They call for increasing preparedness, international...

Summer-like temperatures felt across Japan

Tokyo: Warm air flowing from the south drove temperatures higher in Japan's Pacific Ocean coast regions on Tuesday, with record-high temperatures recorded at many locations, the weather agency said. By...

TN govt announce chemical free programme to improve soil quality

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam on Tuesday announced a chemical free programme to improve soil quality called -- Chief Minister’s Mannuyir Kaathu Mannuyir Kaappom Scheme...

5.5 tons of radioactive water leaked from Fukushima nuclear plant

Tokyo: Approximately 5.5 tons of water containing radioactive materials have leaked from equipment at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, local media reported. Workers discovered water leaking from the outlet...

‘Severe’ air quality chokes Delhi most of the days in January

New Delhi: Throughout January, Delhi grappled with persistent air pollution, exacerbating a crisis that had already been worsening since the previous year. Unfavourable weather conditions, including fog, calm winds, and...

Delhi’s bad AQI in January raises concerns, experts flag temperature inversion & urban factors

New Delhi: The days when "parali" (stubble) burning in neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab was solely blamed for rising pollution levels in Delhi from October to the first week...

NGT seeks report on encroachments of waterbodies, wetlands in TN

Chennai: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a report from the Tamil Nadu chief secretary on district-wise encroachments on waterbodies, wetlands and river poramboke land. Following news paper reports...

Higher reaches receive light snowfall in J&K

Srinagar: Night temperature rose across J&K on Friday as higher reaches received light snowfall. Higher reaches like Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Zojila Pass, Pir Ki Gali on Mughal road, Sinthan Pass, etc.,...

Delhi turns into ‘gas chamber’, air quality in ‘severe’ category

New Delhi: There seems to be no relief from deteriorating air quality despite the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stage-II in force as the...

Namibian cheetah ‘Jwala’ gives birth to three cubs in Kuno

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP) got three new guests as Namibian cheetah 'Jwala' gave birth to three cubs. Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav shared this information on his...

IMD issues ‘red alert’; fog and cold day conditions likely to continue in North India

New Delhi: Seeing no relief in the ongoing weather pattern, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert on Sunday, indicating that dense to very dense fog and cold...

Read Previous

India, Saudi Arabia to work for credible steps against terrorists

Read Next

Modi regime planning another strike in April, claims Mamata

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com