pollution
Although temperatures at the end of June were the highest for five years (33C in Kent) there was no repeat of the pollution problems that we experienced at Easter. Hot weather began on Sunday 26 June, but a fresh Atlantic air feed meant that pollution stayed low. Air over eastern England on Monday 27 June was more polluted, having spent Sunday over France.
Moderate levels of ozone were measured across eastern England including the south-east, the east Midlands and parts of Yorkshire, but two factors enabled us to avoid serious smog. First, relatively low traffic levels and industrial emissions over France on Sunday meant there was insufficient pollution to form smog over the UK on Monday. Second, summertime smog does not form quickly; it can take two or three days for hot sunlight to drive the chemical reactions between air pollutants that lead to harmful levels of ozone and airborne particles. In this case, there was insufficient time for the smog to form before the polluted air was pushed eastwards as violent thunderstorms spread across the UK on Tuesday, 28 June. The residents of Paris were not so lucky, and the heat wave caused the city authorities to declare a surprise pollution alert.
Earlier in June, sunny spells caused brief moderate ground level ozone across many parts of the UK. Grangemouth, Fife, experienced sulphur dioxide problems from nearby industry on three days in mid June.
Ash from the Grímsvötn volcano appeared in Aberdeen soon after midnight on 24 May. The main ground-level impacts were measured across Northern Ireland around breakfast time and then spread eastward.
By late morning ash was detected in the north-west of England from Carlisle and Blackpool through Preston, Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to as far south as Stoke. By lunchtime it had spread east to York, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Chesterfield and south to Nottingham.
The mineral content of airborne particles is not routinely measured in the UK but a number of factors point to volcanic ash as the cause of the air pollution on the 24th. Firstly, air can be traced back to the vicinity of the volcano some 48 hours earlier and a wide area of the UK was affected at the same time, consistent with a distant source.
Secondly, the sampled particles were unaffected by gentle heating during analysis, they were far larger than those from transport and industry and did not contain soot, which normally arises from combustion sources. Particles from the volcano affected each area for four to six hours and caused pollution levels similar to those often experienced by busy roads, or near building sites.
Although most of the UK experienced some moderate ground-level ozone during May, a return to Atlantic airflows and cooler weather prevented a repeat of Easter’s pollution and provided some respite from the airborne particle problems that have plagued London and the south-east since mid-February.
The government’s smog warning on 21 April heralded the worst air pollution of the year so far. The UK describes air pollution as low, moderate, high or very high according to the health risk. Over the Easter weekend airborne particles reached high in Leeds, London and towns in Essex and Kent. Moderate levels were measured throughout England and Wales. Excluding Guy Fawkes, this was the worst air pollution since 2007. Strong spring sunshine and hot temperatures also caused air pollutants to react together leading to widespread moderate ozone over most of the UK and high levels in London and Manchester.
This year the fresh westerly air flow that normally brings March winds and April showers was replaced by easterly winds bringing a record breaking dry March, warm April and polluted air from Europe. No part of UK escaped moderate air pollution during May; moderate ozone reached Lerwick, Shetland, and moderate ozone and airborne particles reached Northern Ireland. Throughout Europe air pollution is caused by the combination of local traffic and industry along with pollution blown from farther afield. In the last decade airborne particle levels from Europe have decreased faster than pollution from road traffic in our cities; levels of pollution reaching the UK from Europe over Easter were around half those during the peaks in 1996, but this Easter shows the need for more control on air pollution sources at the local, national and European level.
The unusual weather patterns that made this March one of the driest on record also caused prolonged pollution problems. Frequent easterly winds brought air across some of the most industrial and urbanised areas of northern Europe before circulating it over the UK, northern France and the Low Countries. Gaseous pollution from European and UK agriculture, transport, homes and industry reacted to form airborne particulates.
These mainly affected south-east England, but occasionally spread into the rest of the UK. The greatest concentrations were measured around the last weekend of March in London, where they reached their highest levels for four years (excluding Bonfire Nights).
The same concentrations also affected Plymouth and Port Talbot. The regional air pollution during March caused difficulties for management in cities because it left less capacity for local traffic emissions before pollution limits are breached. The combination of regional air pollution and local traffic meant that air pollution at Marylebone Road in London breached national objectives for 15 days in March, the worst since 2004.
The effects can be seen in health statistics. A recent report by the committee on the medical effects of air pollution estimates that long-term exposure to particulate air pollution shortens the lives of UK residents by six months on average, which was equivalent to around 29,000 deaths in 2008.
In mid-February a battle took place over the UK between fresh Atlantic air and polluted continental air. Levels of airborne particles started to increase over the Low Countries and the extreme south-east of the UK on 17 February. The polluted air moved farther over the UK on the morning of the 18th, causing pollution levels in the Sussex towns of Eastbourne and Hastings to triple in three hours. By evening, the polluted air had covered south-east England. The following day, fresh Atlantic air pushed the polluted air eastwards, but it fought back on the 20th, reaching as far north as Leeds and into the east Midlands. The highest levels of pollution were measured in London, where local traffic added to the polluted continental air and poor visibility was obvious. In Eastbourne airborne particles reached their greatest level for nearly three years.
Fresh Atlantic air finally triumphed on the 22nd, pushing the polluted air eastwards over the Netherlands and dispersing it over Germany and southern Scandinavia. The EU limits for airborne particles must not be breached on more than 35 days per year. But by the end of February, Marylebone Road in central London had accumulated breaches on 13 days, over a third of the annual allowance.
Elsewhere during February, moderate ozone levels affected the western half of Scotland. At the start of the month Port Talbot, south Wales was affected by pollution from the nearby steelworks.
The absence of prolonged cold periods in January meant that most urban areas of the UK were spared widespread pollution. But coal and oil heating continued to cause high concentrations of airborne particles across Northern Ireland, with the main focus being Derry and Armagh on the last two weekends of the month.
Big industry also caused brief air pollution problems in Wales, Scotland and England. Port Talbot in South Wales was affected by air pollution from the nearby steelworks in the middle of January. Residential areas of Grangemouth, Falkirk, experienced high levels of sulphur dioxide on 27 January, during easterly winds from the direction of a nearby oil refinery.
There were sulphur dioxide problems in residential areas of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, close to a steelworks on 28 January. Unusually, sulphur dioxide affected areas around Thurrock, south Essex, on the 31st, with the monitoring site at Stanford-le-Hope measuring its greatest concentrations since it was opened in 2003.
Nearby north and south banks of the Thames estuary are highly industrialised, including coal and oil-fired power stations and a large refinery, making it very difficult to attribute pollution peaks to specific installations.
At the end of the month, settled conditions caused brief problems with airborne particles in central Birmingham. The same weather patterns caused the Paris authorities to issue three alerts for airborne particle concentrations there.
December’s cold weather produced air pollution problems in the northern UK, including Carlisle, Chesterfield, Glasgow, Hull, Liverpool and Nottingham. But Northern Ireland was the focus during the month, with concentrations reaching twice those in mainland UK.
Very high air pollution was measured in Derry and Armagh, as people struggled to heat their homes in the sub-zero temperatures, with concentrations reaching a peak on Christmas Eve.
Although natural gas has been available in most of mainland UK for 40 years, a pipeline was only laid to Northern Ireland in 1996, and natural gas was not available outside the Belfast region until 2004. As a result, many people in Northern Ireland still use coal and oil to heat their homes. These are relatively dirty fuels compared with natural gas, although 16 local councils have smoke control areas that date from the 1960s to restrict the use of the most polluting fuels.
In the Irish Republic, winter smogs in the 1980s led to the sale of bituminous coal being banned in Dublin in 1990. Between 1990 and 2000, the bans were extended to 10 other cities. However, the bans work only in areas where alternative fuels are available.
The Dublin coal ban led to a reduction of 70% in smoke concentrations in the city. Respiratory and cardiovascular deaths decreased by over 350 a year, a powerful reminder that improvements in air pollution can have important public health benefits.
December’s cold weather produced air pollution problems in the northern UK, including Carlisle, Chesterfield, Glasgow, Hull, Liverpool and Nottingham. But Northern Ireland was the focus during the month, with concentrations reaching twice those in mainland UK.
Very high air pollution was measured in Derry and Armagh, as people struggled to heat their homes in the sub-zero temperatures, with concentrations reaching a peak on Christmas Eve.
Although natural gas has been available in most of mainland UK for 40 years, a pipeline was only laid to Northern Ireland in 1996, and natural gas was not available outside the Belfast region until 2004. As a result, many people in Northern Ireland still use coal and oil to heat their homes. These are relatively dirty fuels compared with natural gas, although 16 local councils have smoke control areas that date from the 1960s to restrict the use of the most polluting fuels.
In the Irish Republic, winter smogs in the 1980s led to the sale of bituminous coal being banned in Dublin in 1990. Between 1990 and 2000, the bans were extended to 10 other cities. However, the bans work only in areas where alternative fuels are available.
The Dublin coal ban led to a reduction of 70% in smoke concentrations in the city. Respiratory and cardiovascular deaths decreased by over 350 a year, a powerful reminder that improvements in air pollution can have important public health benefits.
Wood and coal burning is regaining popularity as supplementary heating – but at what cost?
A roaring open fire is a popular image of Christmas. However, the smoke from solid fuel presents air pollution problems. The World Health Organisation’s studies highlight the respiratory health impacts of indoor wood, dung and straw burning in developing countries.
Since the early 1970s the availability of natural gas in most of the UK has led to a decline in the use of solid fuel. However, wood and coal burning is regaining popularity as decorative or supplementary heating.
Tracer chemicals from wood combustion are abundant in London’s air and suggest wood burning is responsible for around 15% of wintertime airborne particle pollution from London.
From next April, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will provide financial inducement to burn wood to heat our homes as part of the UK’s strategy to reduce CO2 emissions. The RHI aims to encourage the installation of up to 700,000 domestic wood burners by 2020.
To see the problems that can arise from widespread domestic wood burning we only have to look at the air pollution that affected many Norwegian cities in late November and the problems that affect many Scandinavian and Alpine towns each winter.
Modern wood burners emit far less smoke than open fires. It is crucial that new burners have the highest emissions standards to ensure that our steps to reduce CO2 emissions do not lead to a deterioration of urban air quality.
Wood and coal burning is regaining popularity as supplementary heating – but at what cost?
A roaring open fire is a popular image of Christmas. However, the smoke from solid fuel presents air pollution problems. The World Health Organisation’s studies highlight the respiratory health impacts of indoor wood, dung and straw burning in developing countries.
Since the early 1970s the availability of natural gas in most of the UK has led to a decline in the use of solid fuel. However, wood and coal burning is regaining popularity as decorative or supplementary heating.
Tracer chemicals from wood combustion are abundant in London’s air and suggest wood burning is responsible for around 15% of wintertime airborne particle pollution from London.
From next April, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will provide financial inducement to burn wood to heat our homes as part of the UK’s strategy to reduce CO2 emissions. The RHI aims to encourage the installation of up to 700,000 domestic wood burners by 2020.
To see the problems that can arise from widespread domestic wood burning we only have to look at the air pollution that affected many Norwegian cities in late November and the problems that affect many Scandinavian and Alpine towns each winter.
Modern wood burners emit far less smoke than open fires. It is crucial that new burners have the highest emissions standards to ensure that our steps to reduce CO2 emissions do not lead to a deterioration of urban air quality.
RECENT POSTS
- #glasto anyone else seeing this message after pressing the order button? Type mismatch: 'pricetypeno' /g2011/storeData-glast.asp, line 307 2010-10-03
- sk4 0 meteors #meteorwatch & blanket coverage #cloudwatch 2010-08-12
- the #meteorwatch dot org site is down - is there a backup site? 2010-08-12
- More updates...
Powered by Twitter Tools
