According to the most accurate map of dirty and polluted air available, nearly every UK home is exposed to levels of air pollution above World Health Organization guidelines.
More than 97% exceed WHO limits for at most one of the three key pollutants. 70% of addresses are above WHO limits for all three.
The map was produced by the non profit group the Central Office of Public Interest London and Imperial College London. It combined 20,000 measurements and computer modeling to produce pollution estimates every 20m across the country. The website allows users to check their address. addresspollution.orgGet it for free.
The website also ranks each address based on national pollution levels. The website ranks addresses against national pollution levels. Buckingham Palace, London, is in the 98th per centile with the most polluted air. Balmoral Castle, Scotland, is in zero percentile with the cleanest.
Slough, Berkshire, has the highest percentage of homes in the top 10 most polluted areas. London is next with 66%. Reading, Manchester, Leeds, and Manchester are also among the worst 10.
Copi calls for the disclosure of air pollution data to renters and home buyers, just as it is with asbestos. Air pollution is a problem that affects everyone. It would be shameful for the industry to not act transparently now that accurate data is publicly available, said Humphrey Milles. Copi promotes awareness campaigns on issues it believes are being neglected by the government.
To reflect the growing scientific evidence of the harmful effects of toxic air on health, the WHO slashed its air pollution guidelines in September. A 2019 review found that air pollution could be causing organ damage, with at least 7 million deaths per year in the world and around 40,000 in the UK. According to the WHO, air pollution is the greatest environmental threat to human health. It is a public emergency.
The UK Legal limitThe new WHO limit for nitrogen dioxide is four-times higher than the current one, but it is still not met in most urban areas. The legal limit for PM2.5 (small particles less than 2.5 microns) in the country is five times greater than the WHO limit. The UK limit for PM10, however, is 2.7 times higher.
Rosamund Kissi Debrah, an air pollution activist, said that this data again shows how the government is failing the British people. People can now see the polluted air they are breathing at home, school, and work. This new public service allows everyone to see what they are breathing.
In 2013, Ella Kissi-Debrah, Kissi-Debrah’s nine-year-old daughter, died. A landmark coroner ruling later cited pollution as a cause of death. The coroner issued an Official report to prevent future deathsIn April 2021, the following was stated: Greater awareness [of air pollution]This would help individuals reduce their exposure to the effects of air pollution. This issue must be addressed by both local and national government.
Professor Sir Stephen Holgate, a Royal College of Physicians special adviser on air pollution, stated: Air pollution is an invisible killer and it’s easy for people to forget or ignore. It is essential that the public is provided with data on air pollution for any area they might be interested in renting or buying. It can be a matter-of-life or death in many cases, like the one of Ella.
Rebecca Marsh, UKs property ombudsman stated: Before making a purchase on a particular property, consumers need to be aware of the effects of air pollution. These are material information that all landlords or sellers should provide.
The map shows the average annual pollution levels for 2019, the year that has been unaffected due to travel restrictions and Covid-19 lockdowns. Even with the newer WHO guidelines, 55% UK addresses would still exceed the limit for at most one of the three pollutants.
Sean Beevers, a researcher from Imperial College, stated that air pollution is not a London problem and that people should think about it more. What was once considered to be reasonable levels are now being thrown out of the window.
Beevers stated, however, that models were imperfect and warned against interpreting places with higher levels of air pollution as necessarily being worse than those with lower pollution.