Issue - meetings

Air Quality and health in Nottingham

Meeting: 18/05/2016 - Arboretum, Dunkirk and Lenton, Radford and Park Area Committee (Item 6)

6 Air Quality and health in Nottingham pdf icon PDF 477 KB

Report of the Director of Community Protection and Corporate Director of Commercial and Operations

Minutes:

Richard Taylor, Environmental Health and Safer Places Manager, gave a presentation on air quality and health in Nottingham, highlighting the following points:

 

(a)  air is comprised of 79% nitrogen and 20% oxygen. The remaining 1% is "other" such as natural emissions and particles and emissions from human activities. Near to roads, around 3/4 of emission contributions are from road transport. In addition to gases there are particles (such as sand, dust, carbon, and diesel particulate emissions) present in the air;

 

(b)  air pollution shortens lives, the great smog shortened 12,000 people's lives in London alone. In 2008 it was estimated that 29,000 people died early due to particle pollution, this figure was later revised upwards to 40,000 when the effects of nitrogen dioxide were re-assessed;

 

(c)  during air pollution episodes with higher concentrations of pollutants, these issues become much more apparent. When there is an episode this is usually due to air not moving around enough, so pollutants build up. There was a big episode in April 2014 affecting a significant proportion of the country;

 

(d)  there is discrepancy between WHO recommended levels of pollutants and national and EU limits, so we may reach our own targets but we are still not within WHO recommended safe levels;

 

(e)  the Clean Air Acts (1956, 1968, 1993) each caused a significant change in visible air pollutants and improved situations significantly. Air pollution is now far less visible. Black particles of smoke and sulphur dioxide reduced dramatically due to the introductions of these acts. In 1995 some older measurement equipment could no longer measure the levels as they were now so low. The current pollution problem is road transport related. The 1995 act introduced local air quality management, Councils are required to assess air quality and come up with a plan to improve air quality to meet objectives;

 

(f)  concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in Nottingham follow the major roads into the city. Air quality management areas have been introduced to reflect these areas. Nottingham City Council has attempted to change behaviours by encouraging walking, cycling, and public transport use. All local authorities had to do this, and neighbouring local authorities are also working together. It is still a problem though as car use is still very high. Nottingham is meeting legal air quality objectives, but not WHO guideline levels. There is a general trend down on particulate pollutants;

 

(g)  Public Health England plotted background particle concentrations for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, which confirmed that dense urban areas have higher particle levels. This helped the argument for what needs to be done to improve air quality;

 

(h)  in Nottingham we recognise that air pollution has an impact on health. Air quality is now included in the joint strategic needs assessment, and a range of behaviours and programmes to improve air quality are promoted;

 

(i)  the government has announcement clean air zones, Nottingham will be one of a number of city's mandated to declare one. DEFRA have slightly different qualifiers, so their areas don't  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6