AQN magazine - issue 20 - March 2023

Uniting what’s next in traffic.

We are connecting the dots of a new mobility revolution that is transforming our towns and cities.

With the broadest end-to-end portfolio of intelligent traffic management solutions, we work with cities, highway authorities and mobility

operators to make their road networks and fleets intelligent, enhance road safety and improve air quality.

It’s time to make the world a better place. We are ready. Are you?

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Welcome to AirQualityNews magazine

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As this is the 20th issue of AirQualityNews, I have spent some time re-reading the first, from the back end of 2019. It seems familiar: wood burning stoves, concern about the speed of EV roll out and Clean Air Zone controversy. We will continue to bring these discussions and opinions to you in the way we always have: online, in the magazine and at our conferences but from next month we will bring some of them in much greater detail.

In this issue you will see our main special report – Air Quality Near Schools in Newcastle. This feature is an introduction to the new ‘Premium Content’ portal, that is soon to launch on the AirQualityNews website. Premium Content will be a library of bespoke briefing documents pulling together unique research covering all aspects of clean air provision.

Having looked at air quality outside schools, Georgie Hughes goes inside. She talks to Emma Rubach, Head of Health Advice at Asthma + Lung UK about the issues schools - and hospitals - face in protecting people who would have every right to assume they are in a safe space.

ClientEarth (who also contributed to that first issue) have written a disturbing article that throws light onto the Government’s intention to rid the country of retained EU law as a final adieu to our former partners across the Channel. As Angus and Emily point out, ‘It could undo decades of progress and render the Government’s own environmental commitments useless,’

Also nervous that recent progress is stalling, if not sliding backwards, Georgie Hughes digs into the growing industry of climate disinformation. Fanatics writing green-inked letters to their local MP have been replaced by orchestrated campaigns on both global and local scales. Georgie spoke to Jennie King, Head of Climate Research and Policy at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue who had some interesting things to say on the subject.

In conclusion, I am delighted to have been handed the reins of the AirQualityNews media portfolio. It is a significant responsibility given the research, policies, and news we cover, it’s essential to all our futures.

Please feel free to connect with me if you’d like to contribute, collaborate or interact in any way with us here at AirQualityNews.

All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Paul Day

Tel: 01625 614000 paul@spacehouse.co.uk

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Pages 6-7 News:

Air pollution hospitalises 200,000 in one week as fumes, emissions and smoke descend on Thailand

Pages 28-30 Feature: The silent killer: Indoor air pollution in schools and hospitals

Contents

News:

Pages 6-7

Pages 8-9 Feature: Combining causes: why net zero should also mean levelling up

Pages 11-18 Special Report: Air Quality Near Schools

Pages 22-24 Feature: How climate disinformation is sowing distrust in LTNs

Pages 8-9 Feature:

Combining causes: why net zero should also

Pages 32-33 The Big Interview: Dr. Scott Lowther, Senior Data Scientist,

Pages 28-30 Feature: The silent killer: Indoor air pollution in schools and hospitals

Pages 32-33 The Big Interview: Dr. Scott Lowther, Senior Data Scientist, Dyson

Pages 36-37 Legal: Is the UK about to lose its legal protection against polluted air?

Pages 11-18 Special Report: Air Quality Near Schools

Pages 36-37 Legal: Is the UK about to lose its legal protection against polluted air?

Pages 38-39 International: Devil in the detail: the under reporting of offshore emissions

Pages 40-41 Local Government : Cleaner air challenges in a rural authority setting

Pages 42-43 Marketplace:

How climate disinformation is sowing distrust in LTNs

Devil in the detail: the under reporting of offshore emissions

Pages 40-41 Local Government: Cleaner air challenges in a rural authority setting

Thanks to our contributors: Laura Keast, Anil Namdeo, Lindsay Bramwell, Kamal Jyoti Maji, Judith Rankin, Matthew Clark

U.S. Department of Energy announces $6bn investment in industrial decarbonisation

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the largest investment in industrial decarbonisation in American history with approximately $6 billion in funding being allocated to reduce industrial emissions.

Industrial emissions account for roughly one third of America’s carbon footprint and the sector is considered one of the most difficult to decarbonise due to the variety of energy input and processes. The Department of Energy will prioritise projects that:

• Accelerate industry towards deep decarbonisation

• Spur follow-on investments for widespread adoption of the demonstrated technologies

• Enable new markets for cleaner products

• Benefit local communities. Applicants for funding will be required to submit a Community Benefits Plan which ensures they are engaging with the local community as well as ‘creating quality jobs and investing in the American workforce; advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and supporting environmental justice.’

Only 8% of East of England councils have met their target for installing EV chargepoints Research by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has found that electric car drivers in the East of England must queue for longer and charge their vehicles at slower speeds than any other part of the country.

The ECA obtained the data as the result of a Freedom of Information request and found that most councils in the region had failed to meet their own targets in installing new, fast EV public charge points (22kw or above) in 2022. In fact, only 8% did meet their targets.

In 80% of East of England councils, the most common charging speed is still 7kw or slower.

It was also found that fewer than half of those councils operate their own public EV charging points, with 52% of them saying that energy network constraints in the region would prevent them from doing so.

Air pollution hospitalises 200,000 in one week as fumes, emissions and smoke descend on Thailand

Vehicle fumes, industrial emissions and smoke from burning crop stubble have combined to cover two of Thailand’s largest cities, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, with a blanket of yellow/grey fog that has hospitalised 200,000 people inside a week.

Asenior public health official has claimed that since the beginning of the year more than 1.3 million people in Thailand have fallen ill from air pollution, which kills more Thai people each year than obesity or smoking.

According to the WHO’s State of Global Air report, air pollution accounted for nearly 8% of all deaths (more than 41,000 cases) in Thailand in 2019, with PM2.5 ranked as the top risk for such deaths.

Pregnant women, children and the elderly have been told to stay indoors while people venturing outside have been advised to wear N95 antipollution masks. Nurseries

run by the city have set up special ‘no dust rooms’ with air purifiers to protect young children. Thailand typically suffers poor air quality at

this time of the years due to agricultural burning, but despite this practice being banned for three months in February, the fires have continued.

Global Centre for Clean Air Research publish guidance to tackle air pollution in the kitchen

The process of cooking food – particularly on gas stoves - can compromise indoor air quality to a considerable degree. Advice mitigating this has been published by the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE)

subsidising the installation of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter monitors in kitchens.

After studying the effects of cooking in 60 lowincome homes across Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa it was found that frying contributed to more than 50% of the total harmful fine particulate matter emissions during cooking.

The report is presented as

ten general recommendations such as such as using cleaner fuels, not having other people in the kitchen unnecessarily and ventilating the room effectively; and ten targeted recommendations which are aimed at homeowners, builders and local councils. These include advice such as councils

Professor Prashant Kumar from the University of Surrey, who led the research that informed the guidelines, said: ‘In the UK, housing authorities could include a safety sheet in kitchens advising on healthy and safe cooking practices and facilitate the installation of extraction fans in their properties. Architects could design kitchens with a separate but spacious area adjacent to it where toddlers can be supervised during cooking without breathing fumes. In some countries, priority must be given to phasing out harmful fuels like charcoal and kerosene and subsidising cleaner cooking fuels and options.’

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders calls on Government for a clear Green Automotive Transformation strategy

(eg: update outdated regulation, reduce red tape and fast-track approvals for battery production and renewable energy projects) and trade (eg: expand free trade deals, partner with mineral-rich nations and promote British investment in critical material mining) as the three pillars on which a world-leading industry can be built.

Institute of Directors calls on Government to take inspiration from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act

Frustrated by the lack of incentives for the development of green industries and technologies, the Institute of Directors have called for a UK version of America’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The SMMT have published a blueprint for the future of electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK titled Race to Zero: Powering Up Britain’s EV Supply Chain. The document highlights the strength of UK businesses working in related fields and sets

out a routemap for bringing these technologies together, enabling the UK to compete as an EV manufacturing nation.

The blueprint identifies investment (eg: provide more generous subsidies, upskill the workforce and make energy costs competitive), regulation

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: ‘Britain boasts a firm foundation of EV production, backed by low carbon energy, outstanding R&D and a highly skilled and productive workforce. We must not squander these advantages. Every part of the country has a stake in the switch and with fast, decisive action we can deliver for Britain the growth, jobs and green prosperity this country deserves.’

Anger as Government announce cuts to Active Travel Funding

While the secretary Mark Harper managed to slip in the news that the active travel budget was being slashed. By what exact amount is not clear but the lowest estimate is £200m, two thirds of the budget.

Dr Roger Barker, ‘It cannot be ignored by UK policy makers. It provides substantial incentives for companies to pursue green innovations and green technologies in the United States rather than in the United Kingdom’.

The EU is also raising the stakes through its ‘Green Deal Industrial Plan’ which, amongst other things, is proposing a significant relaxation of the EU’s state aid rules when it comes to investment in green technology.’

Tellingly, Bloomberg had just reported from the recent CERA Energy conference that: ‘in the hallways, meeting rooms and reception areas, oil and gas executives can’t stop gushing about the opportunities unleashed by the Inflation Reduction Act.’

More than half Northern Ireland’s electricity supply now comes from renewables

New data has revealed that 51% of Northern Ireland’s electricity was generated by renewable sources in 2022, an increase of 9.7% on the previous year. Furthermore, February of last year broke records when that figure reached 76.5%.

Despite this, there are still calls for greater investment in order to meet the Energy Strategy’s target of 80% by 2030.

Steven Agnew, Director of RenewableNI, said: ‘For the last four years Northern Ireland has stalled investment in the sector.

Organisations opposed to the cuts were quick to point out that active travel contributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021, took around 14.6 million cars off the road and prevented 2.5m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The cuts would also seem to make it difficult for the government to meet their target of

having 50% of all journeys being walked or cycled by 2030.

Adam Tranter, the West Midlands Cycling & Walking Commissioner who discussed the cuts on BBC’s World at One, said: ‘No other transport schemes can be delivered as quickly and cost-effectively as active travel. Then there’s the added benefits of

decarbonising, improving our health, air quality and productivity.

Charity Sustrans added: ‘‘More than ever, people want and need support to walk, wheel and cycle, and these cuts will impact those that would have benefited most, limiting our choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free.’

‘We have achieved 1.7GW capacity – we need an additional 2.5GW, but only 75MW a year of new generation has been connected.’

Of all renewable electricity generated within Northern Ireland over the 12 month period January 2022 to December 2022, 85.3% was generated from wind.

This compares to 82.1% for the previous 12 month period. Biogas and biomass combined accounted for about 9% with solar providing 3%.

Combining causes: why net zero should also mean levelling up

As the race to decarbonise and build Britain's green economy quickens, Martin Guttridge-Hewitt learns how creating climate-friendly jobs offers an opportunity to also address stark regional inequalities.

There’s no two ways around it - the UK is a deeply uneven country. Using one example, researchers at the think tank IPPR North suggest if northern England were an independent nation it would rank second lowest of any OECD country for public and private investment. Only Greece would place lower. By comparison, London now accounts for around 22% of total UK GDP.

Change is needed, and in one part of the economy that change is well underway. In less than 30 years, policymakers need Britain to reach net zero carbon emissions. A mammoth task, achieving this will involve weaning ourselves off old habits, creating new employment sectors, and expanding areas like renewable energy and electric vehicle production. A green jobs gold rush that can also service the 'levelling up' agenda.

‘The transition to net zero involves a real opportunity to function differently as a society, and it will be a missed opportunity not to integrate the levelling up agenda,’ says Bea Natzler, head of the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) People In Business Team. ‘Many of the regions often

discussed in levelling up can be key to driving net zero transition. The Government’s Green Jobs Task Force has reported on this: such as how the growth of carbon capture utilisation and storage and low carbon hydrogen could boost employment in industrial clusters such as Humberside and South Wales.

‘From a CCC perspective, we don’t formally assess the Government in relation to levelling up. But we do in terms of policies for net zero transition,’ she continues, making it clear some progress has been made, including creating the Green Jobs Task Force and, more recently, Green Jobs Delivery Group. More must be done, though. ‘It’s important to note that around 80% of the 2030 workforce are already in employment. So, a key part of the green jobs agenda will be reskilling and retraining. Some policies have been brought forward, and these tend to focus on local authorities and employers.’

To make that approach work, there needs to be real clarity at the point of delivery. Or, to put that another way, those being tasked with job creation — councils and private partners — need a good understanding of where long term investment is going in order to gauge

what roles they need to fill, and the training required. Natzler points to the urgent need for a net zero action plan, identifying when, where, and in which sectors growth is expected.

More data and evidence is also needed on areas currently experiencing rising demand to understand what specialisms are needed now, and where funds should go. One example is home retrofit coordinators, short supply of which has been blamed as a contributor to the poor uptake of Downing Street's Boiler Upgrade Scheme. There's also a clear requirement for a simpler framework around funding, so people can easily find who is responsible for overseeing grants, loans and financial partnerships in specific areas of the green economy.

ADEPT, the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport — effectively a trade body for leaders in placemaking, transport and more, with a membership covering around 80% of the UK — has a similar idea. Its Green Jobs Finance Training Programme is specifically aimed at helping us understand where funding is available, who from, and how to access it. According to the organisation's President, Mark Kemp, currently

Hannah Bartrum, ADEPT’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Kemp, ADEPT’s President & Executive Director of Environment and Transport at Hertfordshire County Council

Simon Barber, UK Managing Director of Assystem

Executive Director of Environment and Transport at Hertfordshire County Council, this is where the real task lies.

‘One of the big challenges when you've written a sustainable action plan is you can bet your bottom dollar you can't afford to deliver it. Not within the finances you've got and certainly not with the current inflation rates. So you need to think about other mechanisms that we can use to deliver against these goals,’ he says, explaining the training programme was also designed with finance staff in mind. ‘We’ve really been asking the Government to give us longer term visibility of funding. That’s probably the most important thing to us.’

‘I think our case studies prove local authorities do have quite a number of powers at their disposal, but as Mark says, it’s having the funding to deliver as well as local political appetite,’ adds Hannah Bartrum, ADEPT’s Chief Executive Officer, emphasising how crucial it is for Westminster to get the

right funding frameworks, training programmes and guidance in place now, rather than in another ten years.

‘It’s absolutely vital. 2050 is not that far away, we’ve got to act now and can’t wait. That’s why we’re saying let’s see what we can do now, regardless of how long it will take central government on many of these items,’ she continues. ‘But I do think for some of this stuff you really need high level government leadership.’

Simon Barber, UK Managing Director of Assystem, has first-hand experience of these issues. Assystem is an international engineering, digital and project management specialist which is creating hundreds of low-carbon jobs in Britain, many in low socioeconomic areas such as Blackburn, West Cumbria and Sunderland. Its work ranges from Hinkley Point C reactor to power grid modernisation and the expansion of renewable energy.

A recent study by the Local Government Association estimates

that 46% of the total low-carbon jobs by 2030 will be in clean electricity generation and providing low-carbon heat for homes and businesses. What is apparent is that these new jobs are aligned with a region’s particular skills heritage. The north of England, for example, has strong expertise in generation, storage and low-carbon technologies and processes, especially in nuclear and offshore wind.

‘Currently, the main obstacle to growing the green economy is skills. For Assystem, any programme that matches the energy sector’s skills needs with training in certain locations would be well received,’ he continues, adding that there is also lack of awareness at school age of how the economy is changing, and what this means for career prospects. ‘We need to see greater initiatives to educate young people at all ages, not just those in college or university, about the incredible opportunities that exist in the green economy.’

Experts in our field

Air Quality Near Schools

Lastyear,England’sChiefMedicalOfficer(CMO)ProfessorSirChrisWhittywrotehisannualreportonairpollution.Thisreporthighlightsthat inEnglandin2019themortalityburdenoflongtermexposuretoairpollutionwasequivalenttobetween26,000and38,000deathsperyear(CMO, 2022).TheParliamentaryOfficeofScienceandTechnology’s(POST)note691ofJanuary2023estimatedthatbetween2017and2025thetotal NHSandsocialcarecostrelatingtoairpollutionexposureinEnglandwillbeatleast£1.6billion(POST,2023).

Healthimpactsofexposuretoairpollutionarefeltthroughoutourlives,frombeforebirth,intoyoungage,duringadulthoodandthroughtoold age(PHE,2018).Epidemiologicalstudieshaveshownthatlongtermexposuretoambient(outdoor)andindoorairpollutionleadstoreducedlife expectancy,primarilyduetocardiovascularandrespiratorydiseasesandlungcancer(PHE,2018).

AmbientairpollutionisthegreatestenvironmentalthreattopublichealthintheUK(PHE,2018)andrecognitionofthisthreathasbeengaining momentuminrecentyears,leadingtoanexcitingtimeforpositivechangeinthisarea.

Background

The authors of this article conducted a study looking at ambient air quality outside schools in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. This study began as a dissertation for a Master of Public Health degree and was subsequently published open access in Atmosphere in January 2022. The study used publicly available data that had already been collected at study inception but had not yet been analysed, presenting an invaluable opportunity to do so.

The study considered ambient air pollution only and focussed on four key pollutants – nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter 10 (PM10), PM 2.5 and PM1. It compared concentrations of these pollutants to ambient air quality guidelines and regulations that were in place at the time of data analysis in 2020, which, of note, have since been updated globally and nationally.

There has been significant interest in this study across Newcastle and the North East of England over the past year, meaning findings have been disseminated widely. The

authors would like to thank those who have contacted them for their interest.

Children and Air Pollution

Children are particularly vulnerable to adverse health effects from ambient air pollution due to their short stature, developing lungs and higher rate of respiration (WHO, 2013; RCP, 2016). Respiratory health effects of ambient air pollution in children include new or worsened asthma, decreased development of lung function, and problematic respiratory symptoms such as wheeze and cough (PHE, 2018).

Exposure to ambient air pollution is also associated with decreased attention and alertness in children and may be associated with insulin resistance, decreased brain development, and an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Thiering et al., 2013; PHE, 2018). The health impacts of air pollution in children become even more significant when this is put into context in the UK.

The UK has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma, emergency admissions for childhood asthma, and death rates for childhood asthma in Europe (NHS England, 2023). One in 11 children and young people in the UK are currently living with asthma and asthma is responsible for substantial morbidity and wider health and social impacts (NHS, 2023).

2.8 million school days are lost each year to asthma and more than 25,000 children are admitted to hospital with exacerbations each year (Mukherjee et al., 2016). Parents and carers are also impacted, with 69% taking time off work and 13% giving up their jobs entirely to provide the care needed for their child with asthma (Mukherjee et al., 2022). Furthermore, inequalities (avoidable differences) exist in the UK as outcomes are worse for children and young people with asthma who live in the most deprived areas (RCPCH, 2020).

Further Information on Health Impacts

The World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies ambient air pollution as a group 1 carcinogen, with particulate matter (PM) being the pollutant most strongly associated with increased cancer risk (WHO-IARC, 2018).

Health effects of exposure to PM depend on the size of the particles and the duration of exposure (Keast et al., 2022). PM10 (particles 10 µm or less in diameter) can enter the body as far as the nose and throat whereas ultrafine particles (particles <0.1 µm in diameter) may be able to enter the bloodstream (Keast et al., 2022). Evidence suggests that there is no threshold below which PM 2.5 (particles 2.5 µm or less in diameter) is not harmful to human health.

There is consensus among experts that, rather than aiming for a target value for PM 2.5, concentrations should be reduced as low as possible to protect health (PHE, 2018; WHO, 2021)

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has also been linked with adverse effects on human health. A review carried out for the WHO found a strong positive association with short-term (24-hour) exposure to NO2 and all-cause mortality, and moderate strength of evidence for association with 1-hour exposures (Orellano et al., 2020). Short-term exposure to NO2 has been linked with acute respiratory effects (COMEAP, 2015). At high concentrations NO2 acts as a respiratory irritant causing reduction in lung function and airway inflammation which can lead to cough, production of mucus and shortness of breath (COMEAP, 2011).

Long term exposure to NO2 has been linked with increased mortality, however a COMEAP (2018) review indicates that this association represents some effects of NO2, but that it could be compounded by other pollutants such as PM 2.5 and other traffic pollutants (ultrafine particles, black carbon and volatile organic compounds [VOCs]).

Air Quality Standards and Guidelines

The World Health Organisation (WHO) publishes Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) that recommend levels and interim targets for common ambient pollutants (Table 1) (WHO, 2021). WHO AQGs serve as global targets for national and local governments to consider when implementing their own. The 2005 WHO AQGs (WHO2005) were updated in 2021 (WHO2021) and show a marked tightening of values and interim targets (WHO, 2021). The UK’s Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 provide air quality limit values that are legally binding and must not be exceeded (Table 2) (UK Government, 2010).

20024-hour - 25*

*(not to be exceeded more than 3-4 days per year) Source: WHO (2021)

PM2.5 (µg/m3) Annual 25 24-hourPM10 (µg/m3) Annual 40 24-hour 50 (not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year)

NO2 (µg/m3) Annual 40 1-hour 200 (not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year)

Source: UK Government (2010)

The Environment Act 2021 established a legally binding duty on the UK government to bring forward new air quality targets. The new air quality targets set under the act are: (i) ‘annual mean concentration target’ of 10 µg/m3 to be met across England by 2040, and (ii) ‘population exposure reduction target’ of 35% by 2040 compared to a base year of 2018 (Defra, 2023).

Air Pollution Near Schools

Several studies have been conducted in the UK investigating ambient air quality near schools and whilst historically most of these have been conducted in London, new evidence is emerging from other areas too (Keast et al., 2022). The majority of these studies have either measured or modelled NO2, PM 2.5 and PM10 (Keast et al., 2022). The Greater London Authority (GLA) estimated that 24% of primary schools in London were situated in locations with annual mean NO2 concentrations that exceeded 40 µg/m3 (the UK national air quality standard value) in 2013, and that 82% of the schools located in areas with high ambient NO2 concentrations were also located in areas of deprivation (GLA, 2016). Updated reports from 2017 estimated that a similar proportion of London schools were in locations that breached the annual mean NO2 national air quality standards (King and Healy, 2013; Brook and King, 2017).

Osborne et al. (2021) provide an excellent review of the studies investigating air quality near schools. They reviewed 100 articles out of which 14 were UK-based and used monitoring or modelling to estimate air pollution concentrations around schools and on the commute. Three studies employed fixed monitoring outside schools. The 24hour mean NO2 concentration was 49.38 µg/m3 as reported by the Schools Indoor Pollution and Health Observatory Network in Europe (SINPHONIE) study (Csobod et al., 2014). The SINPHONIE study found that the UK had the

Table 1: World Health Organisation Air Quality Guidelines (2005 and 2021)

Table 2: UK Air Quality Standard Regulations 2010

highest average NO2 among the countries observed (UK, Belgium, France, Austria, and Germany).

Broekstra, Luck and Gordeljevic (2019) reported the findings of an EU-wide study and noted that outside seven London schools, over four weeks, NO2 ranged from 25 to 30 µg/m3, PM 2.5 ranged from 1 to 17 µg/m3, and PM10 ranged from 1 to 25 µg/m3. Modelling of NO2 near schools by Howard (2020) found that 328,000 children (25%) were attending schools in London where annual mean NO2 exceeded the air quality objective (AQO) of 40 µg/m3. Brook and King (2017) modelled air quality outside 802 primary and secondary schools and found that around 25% of all London schools were in locations with annual mean NO2 concentrations exceeding the AQO of 40 µg/m3. An analysis based on 2016 data by Watts (2019) found that approximately 6500 schools in the UK are in areas exceeding the annual mean PM 2.5 concentration of 10 µg/m3, this represents about 2.6 million children in those schools.

Reported below is a study we conducted in Newcastle upon Tyne. Full details of the study are reported by Keast et al. (2022).

Newcastle Study

Our study aimed to investigate ambient air quality for 12 schools in Newcastle Upon Tyne (Newcastle). The study objectives were to:

❶ Determine concentrations of NO2, PM10, PM 2.5 and PM1 outside schools in Newcastle and investigate temporal, geographical, and meteorological patterns

❷ Determine whether concentrations of these pollutants regularly exceed the WHO2005 guidelines or UK Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010

❸ Estimate school children’s exposure to inhalable particles (Keast et al., 2022). Of 101 schools in Newcastle, 22 have outdoor static air quality monitors (AQMs) (Keast et al., 2022). These AQMs were provided through a partnership between Newcastle City Council (NCC) and the Newcastle Urban Observatory as part of a piece of work to promote Healthy Schools (Keast et al., 2022).

The AQMs are AQMesh monitoring pods which provide real-time ambient air quality data (Keast et al., 2022). AQMesh pods contain electrochemical sensors that measure NO2 and light-scattering optical particle counters that measure PM (Keast et al., 2022).

The location of the AQMesh pods outside the schools are carefully considered by air quality experts and are most commonly attached to lampposts at school entrances (Keast et al., 2022).

Due to varying installation dates of AQMs and start dates of data collection, 12 of the 22 schools with sufficient data to provide annual averages for the chosen years of 2018 and 2019 were included in our study (Keast et al., 2022). Figure 1 shows the location of the 12 schools, two fixed precision stations, and Newcastle air quality management areas.

AQMesh pods generate average readings every 1-15 minutes (Keast et al., 2022). These readings were analysed using “openair”, a specialist air quality package within R to generate 24-hour and annual means for NO2, PM10, PM 2.5 and PM1 (Keast et al., 2022). Respiratory deposition doses (RDD) were estimated to provide an indication of PM10, PM 2.5, and PM1 deposition in the respiratory tract using a methodology described by Gupta and Elumalai (2019). RDD in µg is estimated as a function of deposition fraction (DF), volume of air inhaled (m3) per breath (VT), respiratory rate

(breaths per minute), concentration of pollutant (C) in µg/ m3 and exposure time (T) in minutes (Keast et al., 2022). DF is the fraction of inhaled particles that deposit in the respiratory tract, from the nose and throat to deep into the lungs (Fleming et al., 2011).

Annual mean results presented here focus on NO2 and PM 2.5 as results were similar for all PM, however PM10 results are presented for short-term exceedances.

Annual Mean NO 2 Concentrations

Figure 2 shows annual mean NO2 concentrations for 2018 and 2019. In 2018, annual mean NO2 concentrations outside the 12 schools ranged from 23.4 ± 15.9 µg/m3 (mean ± standard deviation) to 38.3 ± 26.7 µg/m3 (Keast et al., 2022). In 2019, annual mean NO2 concentrations ranged from 21.7 ± 11.2 µg/m3 to 40.0 ± 33.4 µg/m3 (Keast et al., 2022). This means that in 2019 one school met the WHO2005 guideline and UK regulations, but no schools exceeded them in either year (Keast et al., 2022). In both 2018 and 2019 all schools would have exceeded the updated WHO2021 guideline for annual mean NO2 of 10 µg/m3, if it had been in place (Keast et al., 2022).

Generally, NO2 concentrations were lowest in the late spring, summer, and early autumn months (May–September) and highest in the winter months (October–February) (Keast et al., 2022).

Short-Term NO 2 Concentrations

In 2018 two schools exceeded both the WHO2005 guidelines and the UK regulations for short-term NO2

concentrations (Keast et al., 2022). In 2019, no schools exceeded the WHO2005 guidelines or UK regulations for short-term NO2 concentrations (Keast et al., 2022).

Annual Mean PM 2.5 Concentrations

Figure 3 shows annual mean PM 2.5 concentrations for 2018 and 2019. In 2018, annual mean PM 2.5 concentrations at the 12 schools ranged from 3.8 ± 5.3 µg/m3 to 11.0 ± 10.2 µg/m3 (Keast et al., 2022). In 2019, annual mean PM 2.5 concentrations ranged from 3.1 ± 4.7 µg/m3 to 12.2 ± 15.8 µg/m3 (Keast et al., 2022). Two schools exceeded the WHO2005 guideline in 2018 and 2019, but no schools exceeded the UK regulations in either year (Keast et al., 2022). However in both years, 10 of the 12 schools would have exceeded the updated WHO2021 guideline if it had been in place, and interestingly the two schools that would not have exceeded were the same in both years (Keast et al., 2022). PM 2.5 concentrations were generally lowest in the late spring, summer, and early autumn months (May–October) and highest in the late autumn and winter months (November–February) (Keast et al., 2022).

Short-Term PM 10 Concentrations

All 12 schools exceeded the WHO2005 guidelines for short-term PM10 concentrations in 2018 (Keast et al., 2022). Notably high 24 hour mean PM10 concentrations were observed at three schools in 2018 at around 137.5 μg/m3 (Keast et al., 2022). In 2019, six of the 12 schools exceeded the WHO2005 guidelines, and one school exceeded the UK regulations for short-term PM10 concentrations (Keast

et al., 2022). In 2019, the highest 24 hour mean PM10 concentrations were observed at two different schools and were 174.1 μg/m3 and 274.7 μg/m3 (Keast et al., 2022).

Short-Term PM 2.5 Concentrations

All schools exceeded the WHO2005 short-term PM 2.5 guidelines in 2018 and the number of days with exceedances ranged from 3-20 days (Keast et al., 2022). In 2019, 10 of the 12 schools exceeded these, one of them on 42 days (Keast et al., 2022).

Diurnal Variations in NO 2 and PM 2.5 Concentrations

Time variation plots were used to investigate diurnal variation of NO2 and PM 2.5. NO2 concentrations outside schools consistently showed a distinct pattern over the course of a day (Figure 4) (Keast et al., 2022). Their distribution was bimodal, with noticeable morning and afternoon/evening peaks, coinciding with rush hour times (Keast et al., 2022).

The afternoon/evening peaks were generally higher with fewer steep gradients than the morning peak, likely due to accumulation of NO2 during the day from traffic emissions (Keast et al., 2022). Whilst these peaks were not formally compared to traffic volumes in this study, it seems reasonable to hypothesise that these diurnal variations in NO2 concentrations outside schools in Newcastle occur due to higher volumes of traffic on the roads during morning and afternoon/evening rush hours (Keast et al., 2022).

PM concentrations demonstrated the opposite shape to NO2 concentrations over the course of a day (Figure 5).

Rather than two distinct peaks, PM concentrations showed a “U-shape” and were at their highest from midnight until early morning and their lowest in the middle of the day (Keast et al., 2022). This could suggest that, when compared to NO2 concentrations, PM concentrations are less associated with traffic volumes outside schools in Newcastle (Keast et al., 2022).

Respiratory Deposition Estimation

Respiratory deposition doses (RDD) were calculated for each school. The calculation used provides an estimation, as a thorough exposure assessment would require a minuteby-minute exposure (concentrations and inhalation rates) of each individual. The calculation presented here assumes that school children are exposed to air pollution concentrations the same as those in the location of the AQM at drop-off, pick up, and outdoor playtimes. This RDD estimation does not consider exposure during the travel to and from school.

During the study period, the highest total PM10 RDD (µg/h) was 17.7 µg/h and the lowest was 5.8 µg/h (Figure 6) (Keast et al., 2022). The highest total PM 2.5 RDD occurred outside the same school with the highest PM10 RDD and was 9.2 µg/h (Keast et al., 2022). The lowest was 2.5 µg/h, which also occurred outside the same school with the lowest PM10 RDD (Keast et al., 2022).

Geographical Considerations

When considering the geographical locations of the schools in this study and their air quality, patterns begin to emerge. Two schools stand out as consistently having the lowest pollutant concentrations. These two schools are located in the west of the city and upwind (the prevailing wind in Newcastle is westerly) of the city and the A1 (a major road).

A different school stood out as consistently having the highest NO2 concentrations, that remained high throughout the course of the day at around 40 μg/m3. Interestingly this school is co-located with a large high school and the two schools share a drop-off/pick up area consisting of a small road with a roundabout for vehicles to drive in, turn around, and drive out.

Finally, one school stood out as consistently having the highest PM levels. This school is located in the east of the city and therefore downwind of the city. It is also closer to industrial buildings than other schools.

Further investigation is needed into the impact of school location and proximity to sources of pollutants to be able to determine causation, but the consistency of some of the patterns found in this study are important to highlight.

Conclusions

Our Newcastle study, in combination with other school air quality studies, highlights areas where initiatives could be introduced to protect children from harm from air pollution whilst at school.

There is evidence for exceedances of WHO guidelines (particularly the updated 2021 guidelines) and national regulations outside schools in both Newcastle and the rest of the UK that could be putting children at risk, but we must not forget that, rather than focusing on meeting targets, we should be aiming to reduce air pollution concentrations as low as we possibly can to protect health.

There is evidence to suggest that NO2 concentrations are highest outside schools around the time of morning and afternoon/evening rush hours, highlighting the impact that

traffic volumes on roads near schools have on school ambient air quality.

There is also evidence for the impact of school location and proximity to sources of pollutants on school ambient air quality where, in some situations, relatively straightforward measures could lead to significant reductions in concentrations of ambient air pollutants outside schools.

Recommendations

School Streets initiatives

Evidence suggests that nearby traffic is a key factor influencing ambient air pollution concentrations near schools, with proximity to traffic, traffic volume and speed all playing a role (Reche et al., 2015). In response, many local authorities in the UK are now piloting or implementing ‘School Streets’. A School Street is a road/roads outside a school with a temporary restriction on motorised school and through traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times. The aim of School Streets initiatives are to introduce safer, healthier, and more pleasant school environments and school commutes for everyone. School Streets are being piloted in Newcastle and their impact on both air quality and wider health related outcomes will be evaluated.

Drop-off/pick up environment

There is evidence to suggest that busy drop-off and pick up sites can lead to higher concentrations of ambient air pollutants at schools (Keast et al., 2022). Measures such as anti-idling campaigns outside schools and locating dropoff and pick up sites away from school gates are relatively simple initiatives that could help improve school ambient air quality.

Wider urban planning

Urban design and planning also influence air quality near schools. Sandy playgrounds and a high density of surrounding buildings are associated with high pollutant concentrations (Amato et al., 2014). Street canyons can trap pollutants at street level and result in higher concentrations of pollutants. Our Newcastle study suggests that being downwind of sources of pollutants may be linked with higher concentrations outside schools (Keast et al., 2022).

In contrast, green infrastructure near schools can result in lower pollutant concentrations (Dadvand et al., 2015), although more research investigating the impact of this is important to provide a robust evidence base for choosing interventions (Osborne et al., 2021). In conclusion, carefully considering the location of future schools and/or planning green infrastructure near existing schools are measures that will help to improve school ambient air quality.

Monitoring

Our Newcastle study was made possible by having access to publicly available, real-time school air quality data due to partnership working between NCC and the Urban Observatory. Where the opportunity arises, providing schools with ambient AQMs both enables monitoring of air quality by organisations external to the school, and empowerment of schools and their pupils to monitor their own. This has happened in some of the schools with AQMs in Newcastle with great success.

Education

Education for children, parents, carers, teachers, and clinicians on the health impacts of air pollution and ways to reduce both exposure and contribution is key. This can be delivered through standalone education activities, but curriculum change for both schools and clinicians would be the most powerful and comprehensive way to achieve this.

Authors

Laura Keast: Public Health Speciality Registrar, Health Education England North East and North Cumbria, Newcastle Upon Tyne

• laurajane.keast@nhs.net

Anil Namdeo: Professor of Air Quality Management, Northumbria University, Newcastle; UKRI Regional Clean Air Champion

• anil.namdeo@northumbria.ac.uk

Lindsay Bramwell: Northumbria University, Newcastle • lindsay.bramwell@northumbria.ac.uk

Kamal Jyoti Maji: Georgia Institute of University, USA • kmaji3@gatech.edu

Judith Rankin: Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University; National Institute of Health and Care Research

J22 Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria • judith.rankin@newcastle.ac.uk

Figure 1: Location of 12 schools, two fixed precision monitors and air quality management areas (AQMAs) in Newcastle Upon Tyne

Figure 2: Annual Mean NO2 Concentrations outside the 12 Newcastle schools

Figure

Figure 4: Hourly average NO2 concentrations outside three of the Newcastle schools in 2018 and 2019

Figure 5: Hourly average PM2.5 concentrations outside three of the Newcastle schools in 2018 and 2019

Figure 6: Estimated Respiratory Deposition Dose of PM in the 12 school outdoor environments

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Watts, R. (2019) 'Air Pollution on Streets Is Poisoning 2.6 m Schoolchildren'.

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2023 South West and Wales Air Quality Conference

Brought to you by:

FIRST SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED

The Air Quality News team are proud to announce we are hosting our inaugural South West and Wales Air Quality Conference, to be held at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel on June 21st.

This event will bring together key policy makers in local authorities, as well as academia, and environmental focused private companies, to hear from our expert speakers to see how we can tackle air quality in the regions.

June 21st - Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

Delegate tickets start at £95 +VAT for local authorities

www.airqualitynews.com/events

Joseph Carter Asthma & Lung UK

Tessa Bartholomew-Good Global Action Plan

Cllr Don Alexander Bristol City Council

Improve air quality and road safety with end-to-end School Streets programme!

School streets are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, with more than 500 across London alone.

Road traffic policies are getting stricter, technology is getting more intelligent, and we, as humans, are always looking at ways to improve our environment, infrastructure, and daily lives.

This has been the case with school streets, where we have witnessed an evolution in how they operate around the country. In a nutshell, school streets are a temporary road closure for certain motor vehicles outside the school gates during pick-up and drop-off periods. This is to help children access the school safely, promote active travel, reduce air pollution, and improve health.

Our solution to School Streets Benefits of School Streets

School Streets have traditionally been implemented with street signs and physical barriers to prevent motor vehicles from entering the car-free zone. Although, it is resource-intensive, unsightly and adds no value regarding health, infrastructure, and traffic congestion.

Together with our sister brands, we can provide either a partial or whole School Streets programme, from initial design and public engagement (Project Centre) to air quality measurement (Vortex) and control traffic contraventions with unattended CCTV technology (Videalert).

Unattended CCTV technology provides actionable data regarding the number of cars removed from the zone, vehicle type, co2 emission vehicle band, and much more. This can be coupled with a hyperlocal air quality monitoring solution to collect real-time localised air quality readings to support data-driven decisions and validate its environmental impact.

Case Study: Lewisham Council

Lewisham Council’s Transport team undertook an ambitious venture to deliver a School Streets programme across the most traffic-congested locations in the borough. Using our unattended CCTV enforcement technology, the Council aimed to reduce traffic volume outside the schools with zero vehicle control and instead favour pedestrians and cyclists during morning and afternoon periods.

The process Outcome

Providing clear and consistent engagement and communication with the community through consultation maps, online survey and face-to-face conversations

Promoting a diverse and inclusive communication strategy

Writing to teachers to help them communicate the value and importance of the programme

Installing 45 ANPR cameras

Introducing vehicle controls to reduce traffic volume and vehicle speed outside 22 schools

CCTV clip reviews and back-office processing

Improved road safety

The safety of children is essential around school roads, and we have seen significant progress in the last decade in ensuring we limit traffic-related accidents. However, road collisions remain one of the leading causes of premature death among children and young people aged 0-15, with 35% of child pedestrians killed or seriously injured during what is typically classified as the ‘school run’.

Using our CCTV technology to control the closure of school roads at particular times, children can actively go to school without fear of being involved in a dangerous accident.

Improved air quality

Approximately 50% of London's emissions come from road vehicles. Toxic air causes thousands of early deaths each year, slowing young lung growth and increasing respiratory illness. Also, children walk closer to the exhausts of idle vehicles on their way to school, particularly in densely populated places. By removing these vehicles from our school gates, children will benefit from cleaner air and associated health implications

Encourage active travel

Since School Streets rolled out, we have seen a significant behaviour change in how people travel to school. Every person should have the right to clean air and be able to walk, cycle, scoot, or wheel to school with the enjoyment of fresh air and the company of their friends.

We recognise that good behaviour change is challenging. Therefore, we carefully develop a programme that consults with the affected individuals to deliver to ensure each party agrees with the intervention.

In total, the interventions reduced 862,500 vehicle movements around school pick-up and drop-off times across the 22 schools. At Holbeach Primary School alone, vehicle movement decreased by 75%. Meanwhile, at Rushey Green Primary School, there was a 32% reduction in vehicle movements.

Emmet Ruxton, a parent at Thorpewood Primary School.

“It’s been transformative. Much less traffic, many more kids riding to school, and you can walk on the road. It’s been great.”

How climate disinformation is sowing

There may be scientific consensus that the climate crisis is happening and it’s caused by human activity, but not everyone agrees. As misinformation and disinformation have increasingly leaked into politics and social commentary in recent years, this means climate denial theories are gaining more attention.

If you’ve noticed a rise in climate denial on social media in recent months you’re not alone. On Twitter, the phrase ‘climate scam’ or other tweets containing climate denial rose by 300% in 2022, according to an Advance Democracy report. Elsewhere, Oxford councillors said they’d been inundated with abusive phone calls and social media messages after a false and misleading article on a climate denial website went viral in December. The article took aim at

the city’s recently announced traffic filters, claiming that the measures were part of a conspiracy to impose a ‘climate lockdown’ on citizens. Not long after, a far-right protest against the traffic reducing measures took place in the city. But Oxfordshire’s traffic filters will not block access in and out

of the city and are designed solely to reduce congestion and improve air quality in the city centre. The whole debacle has unveiled a complex climate disinformation system at work to delay climate action.

While this may seem like the views of a remote few, Jennie King, Head of

Georgie Hughes dives into the climate mis- and disinformation network, uncovering how this delays urgent climate action and encourages vitriol against traffic reducing measures.

Hirra Khan Adeogun Jennie King

distrust in LTNs

Climate Research and Policy at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, says the issue is ‘endemic’ and the potential for these ideas to spread is ‘growing by the day’. Climate disinformation has a long history, as the fossil fuel industry has been exposed for misleading the public on the severity of the climate crisis since the 1970s. But King says the conversation has now diversified, as the topic has become part of the wider culture wars, with some groups seeing the climate movement as inherently ‘liberal’ and ‘woke’. This poses a direct threat to climate action, says King: ‘I think that there is a great danger in assuming that issues like climate change are a settled matter, or even that some of the key basic arguments have been won. We're seeing a historic backsliding of rights and policy in a number of areas, whether it's sexual reproductive health, or the LGBT community or civil rights, and climate is equally as vulnerable to that kind of backsliding.’

Climate misinformation and

disinformation isn’t just featured on social media either, some British media outlets are also invested in fanning the flames of the culture wars platforms of controversial climate deniers. ‘One of the major threads of disinformation is trying to claim that there isn't scientific consensus or cherry picking the scientific data to make counterfactual arguments,’ adds King. The Daily Mail, The Sun and GB News, for example, have all peddled climate denial theories and platformed people who are ‘vocally, determinately and uncompromisingly’ arguing against climate action. The public mandate is informed by everyday debates and discussions which King says are currently ‘entirely skewed towards a very strong, well-funded and developed disinformation ecosystem’.

The danger lies where climate disinformation is now ‘pivoting to these more subtle discourses of delay’ which is less obvious to spot. These exploit the ‘last mile gap’, says King, ‘which is the gap between having

broad consensus that climate change exists and is caused by humans and requires urgent action and actually implementing the kinds of policies that are absolutely essential if we're going to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement.’ This can be seen in discussions questioning the necessity of climate solutions, such as solar farms and Clean Air Zones (CAZs). Policies like this are required to not only meet the all-important 1.5° target, but also to achieve clean air that is vital to health. But conversations continue to deny the urgency and importance of doing so.

Traffic reducing measures in particular attract a lot of vitriol, as witnessed by the reaction to Oxford’s traffic filters. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) have been proven to reduce air pollution and encourage cycling and walking rates but are regularly attacked with arguments of elitism. Critics say they disproportionately disadvantage ethnic minority and poorer communities, but research shows low-traffic schemes in London actually benefit these communities the most. A 2021 study led by Westminster University in London found that people in the most deprived areas were 2.7 times more likely to live within an LTN scheme. The rising cost of living has also provoked more criticism of Clean Air Zones (CAZs) as people are concerned about having to pay fines. Sadiq Khan’s announcement of an expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) led to people congregating in Trafalgar Square, protesting against the charges. While the majority of drivers have compliant cars, there are still 30% in London’s outer boroughs who have non-compliant vehicles.

Climate action group Possible has come face to face with disinformation when publishing reports on LTNs, as people have questioned who funds the charity and whether the group is part of a wider conspiracy. Research shows LTNs reduce overall traffic, with 46 London schemes seeing a 32.7% median reduction in traffic and a 46.9% drop when calculated as a mean. However, some groups have been pushing the belief that LTNs push traffic onto boundary roads, invalidating the positive results of the schemes. But further research has found that this isn’t quite the case, as traffic on boundary roads changed very little. Hirra Khan Adeogun, Head of Car Free Cities at Possible, says:

‘For about half of boundary roads traffic reduces and for about half of them traffic increases. So, what we can say there is there's no systemic link between LTNs and traffic on boundary roads, what's often going on are other localised issues.’ This could be new housing developments leading to more cars in the area or a new office building funnelling cars onto roads. More emotionally charged responses to traffic reducing measures, such as the ‘climate lockdown’ conspiracy theory, are borne out of fears of people’s civil liberties being taken away following COVID-19 lockdown, says King. ‘People do not trust government to act in their best interests and they perceive, often very legitimately, that there is a huge disconnect between what is happening among elite circles and the average citizen,’ she says. ‘The climate lockdown conspiracy very successfully marshalled those kinds of grievances in opposition to climate action.’

When the public is becoming increasingly mistrustful of forces at large, its vital that communicators efficiently and accurately convey information on LTNs and other measures. Khan says she thinks it’s up to environment groups to ‘be better communicators and to win people over with transparency, openness and

honesty.’ With bad faith actors always waiting to jump on slight missteps, however, it's important to remain aware of a fractured political and social landscape and how information could be purposefully misinterpreted. Politicians are also looking to stoke the flames of the culture wars to advance their own agenda – Boris Johnson was quick to jump on to criticism of the ULEZ expansion and five Conservative councils have launched legal action against it. Figures from City Hall show that 300,000 people live with asthma in outer London where the ULEZ would be expanded to, highlighting the need to reduce deadly air pollution in the area. Khan says: ‘I think one of my key things is that politicians from across all parties across the board need to start being open and honest with the public about the facts around the climate crisis and the action that's necessary to combat it.’

On social media the disinformation network is more difficult to combat, as people can quickly spread false information and sow doubt. King’s recent report on new digital trends in climate mis- and disinformation found that the hashtag ‘climate scam’ is being actively recommended as a top result to Twitter users who search for anything climate related. This is despite some users never having interacted with

any climate denial rhetoric and other climate hashtags having more engagement. King says this is unlikely to be a conscious decision to promote climate denial, but rather a reflection of the wider chaos ongoing at Twitter amid mass layoffs and system changes. Twitter could not be reached for a comment on this. It’s believed that the communications team at Twitter has been hit particularly hard by layoffs. King’s report says this reflects the importance of social media companies being more transparent about how and why certain content is platformed and recommended to users.

As mis- and disinformation can cause so much harm, destabilising societies and promoting extremism, this could be something governments start to clamp down on in future.

The European Parliament recently hosted its first hearings on climate disinformation, showing a move towards policy tackling these threatening forces. With free speech being a challenging thing to uphold when trying to restrict harmful and false information, it remains to be seen exactly how policy will go about dismantling the disinformation machine. But it’s clear more needs to be done to tackle the dangerous networks at play which could delay climate action until its way too late.

Turnkey Instruments Ltd

Over recent years Turnkey Instruments research & development team have been busy designing, developing and manufacturing two new market leading air pollution monitors. The newest Monitor to the range is the iPM Particle Monitor, specifically designed for use within local authorities for measuring and reporting Diesel fume pollution.

This Monitor can be permanently mounted and is Ideal for contamination control, through its leading edge technology the monitor offers independent online data management. To further support the monitors market recognition we have applied for MCERTS for PM10 & PM2.5 which is pending.

The next generation of iGASair is a new internet gas Monitor. Its multiple gas sensors are housed within a shielded manifold and aspirated with an ultra-quiet pump, making the instrument equally suitable for both outdoor and indoor air pollution monitoring. Typical sensitivities are given below. Carbon dioxide is detected by means of

Why Turnkey Instruments?

a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) detector, VOCs (isobutylene) by a 10.6 eV photoionization detector (PID), and the other gas species by means of 4-electrode electrochemical cells. A proprietary zero gas generation scheme is employed to eliminate zero drift in all of the gas sensor cells.

Our gas monitors allow easy recording and reporting of multiple gas species, viewed remotely through AirQWeb. Like particulates, pollutant gases significantly affect the quality of the air we breathe, and are often present in the same environments, these can be generated by mobile sources e.g. traffic & congestion, h b h stationary sources including Manufacturing plants, Oil & Gas Refineries, factories and area sources from Agriculture.

Both Monitors offer data via pushed and polled technology which delivers data instantly. The Monitors also utilise Turnkey unique Power Portal for mains power, WiFi and 4G/5G cellular connectivity.

All of the Instrumentation is designed & developed by our highly skilled and dedicated UK based in house team of engineers & support team. Our service is unique in that we understand fully the technology we deliver, our R&D team developed the technology, our design team created and manufactured the Monitors whilst our trainers and service engineers help our customers to get the best out of their investment.

Customer support is our top priority, calibration and technical advice is always on hand. Once you have invested in our Monitors our service engineers are available to carry out prompt repairs, on going servicing and product updates. At Turnkey Instruments we understand and prioritise Data Management as this is critical to managing the environments.

Our Monitoring and testing equipment is used with our AirQ Software and associated Apps. This software has also been designed and developed in house, its focus is client centric with functionality and use-ability at its core.

The silent killer: Indoor air pollution hospitals

We’re told that danger lies outside where we’re more at risk of pollution from cars, lorries and factories. But sometimes it’s in the very places where we feel most safe that the dangers lie. Much of air quality campaigning and research focuses on these outdoor sources of pollution, so it’s easy to forget about the issues indoors. However, with 90% of our time on average spent indoors, we could be breathing in harmful pollutants and particulate matter without even realising.

Vehicles, power plants and industrial activities are the most common sources of air pollution, but as these hazardous substances work their way into the atmosphere, they don’t just disappear. Pollutants can work their way inside buildings and are then trapped inside, adding to a mix of indoor pollutants creating unhealthy spaces, as poor ventilation means dirty air can’t be filtered out. Emma Rubach, Head of Health Advice at Asthma + Lung UK, explains: ‘Dirty air comes in many different forms, both indoors and out. In towns and cities, the main source of air pollution is road transport. Indoors, it comprises dust, dirt, mould, or gases in the air that could be harmful to breathe in, this could include chemicals in products such as carpet cleaners, paint and air fresheners, as well as fumes from cooking and woodfired

stoves. Poor outdoor and indoor air quality has been linked to lung diseases like COPD, lung cancer, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, so it is a very serious problem.’

Even the places where we are meant to feel safest can pose a problem. Hospital buildings are usually located close to busy roads out of necessity to make them easily accessible. But this means patients are breathing in polluted air, as hospitals suffer from external pollution and particulate matter (PM2.5). A 2018 Asthma + Lung UK report found that more than 2,000 health centres are located in areas with PM2.5 levels above World Health Organisation (WHO) limits. This includes major teaching hospitals, clinics, GP surgeries and two of the UK’s biggest children’s hospitals –Great Ormand Street Hospital and Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital. The problem is widespread across the UK, with one in three GP surgeries and one in four hospitals in England being in areas with unsafe levels of air pollution.

Rubach says this can pose a serious risk to millions of people who are already vulnerable, aggravating existing conditions or worsening acute illnesses. Hospital staff who work in these conditions are also at risk, exposed to high air pollution levels on a regular basis. She adds: ‘All air pollution is harmful to human health and can exacerbate lung

Georgie Hughes examines how indoor air pollution is harming our most vulnerable in public buildings which are supposed to be safe: schools and hospitals

in schools and

conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), leading to life threatening asthma attacks or a flare-up of symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing and coughing.’

To protect patients from these adverse health conditions, Matthew Perkins, Managing Director of air purification company MedicAir, says it’s important to properly ventilate indoor spaces, as the air within a space needs to be changed regularly to lower pollution levels. ‘In a medical environment generally, we will be looking to achieve 10 air changes per hour within those spaces,’ he says. ‘That's the best way to keep patients and staff safe. Within a school or an office environment, we’re looking at three to five air changes per hour in those slightly lower risk areas.’ Hospitals require air changes more often as there are unwell people within these environments, with some spreading respiratory viruses and bacteria. Perkins, alongside two co-founders, designed MedicAir purifiers to specifically target all sources of indoor pollution. The purifiers have a combination technology that targets pollutants and VOCs with an activated carbon filter, while its UV-C light and anti-microbially coated HEPA H13 filter can eradicate bacteria and viruses.

MedicAir purifiers are now present in over 20 NHS Trusts, helping to clear the air in a range of environments where there’s close contact between patients and staff, such as wards, GP surgeries, dental practices and care homes. Not

only has this benefitted patients by protecting their health, Perkins says he’s also seen the purifiers make a difference to staff wellbeing: ‘You see a decrease in staff sickness, increase in productivity and also you see an increase in patients and staff feeling safe in those environments. There's a huge amount of intangible benefits and improvements to the technology as well.’ Indoor air quality is a growing area of concern, he adds, but it is difficult to address, as there is currently a lack of government regulation for indoor spaces. ‘Obviously from a government regulatory perspective, you can't regulate what the air quality in someone's house is like, you can regulate the outdoor quality,’ he observes. ‘I think it gets spoken about less because there is less of a kind of centralised responsibility for it.’

Schools face similar problems with air quality, as children and young people are exposed to harmful PM2.5 and other forms of pollution affecting health and impacting academic performance - a Harvard study linked high air pollution concentrations with lower average academic test scores. John Lumb, Director at Evotech Air Quality, says Britain's old building stock is part of the issue, as schools are in a poor state, with some even pre-dating the 1900’s.

A huge government survey evaluating the condition of over 22,000 school buildings between 2017-2019 found that the estimated cost of remedial work to repair school buildings in England alone was £11.4 billion. ‘Our built environment is widely regarded as the worst in Western Europe because it's the oldest,’ Lumb explains. ‘Now it's creaking and it's not really fit for purpose.’ In response to

the report, the government committed to rebuilding 500 schools over a 10-year programme, with funding earmarked for 400 projects so far. However, the Department for Education revealed in July that it had received more than 1,000 applications for the programme during a four-week application window in early 2022. This means that around 54.8% of applicants will miss out on funding, according to Schools Week. Lumb adds: ‘The amount of money that's allocated by government is only scratching the surface in terms of repairs and rebuilds of new schools, but we can

understand why there's a lot of pressures on government and the Treasury. We can't just go out and rebuild all of our schools.’

With progress on repairing schools slow, Lumb says he was concerned about the implications of leaving children and staff in unsafe school environments. Government data shows there are currently nine million schoolchildren and just under 600,000 teachers in the UK. Classrooms are typically highly occupied, with around 25-30 people in one room, while poor ventilation means there’s a mix of outdoor air pollution, PM2.5 and even airborne microplastics trapped inside.

‘There's this ticking time bomb,’ Lumb says. ‘We've got all these kids going to school and yes, we're giving them a good education compared to many countries around the world. But they are sat in polluted spaces.’ The team at Evotech decided they could help schools in the local area by monitoring air quality in classrooms and raising awareness of the dangers of indoor pollution.

The #CleanAirSchools campaign launched in 2021 and five Calderdale schools were fitted with sensors in playgrounds and classrooms. The team tracked indoor CO2 levels throughout the academic year in a first of its kind study. This covered classroom hours only from September 2021 to July 2022, not including lunchtimes and bank holidays. With 9.2 million sensor readings, the results were staggering – the highest single CO2 reading was 5,966 parts per million (ppm), 4,466ppm over Department for Education guidelines of 1,500ppm. The total number of hours spent over these CO2 guidelines was a whopping 4,846, while sensors detected 57,999 CO2 alerts over 1,500ppm

throughout the year. This means children are regularly exposed to extremely high levels of carbon dioxide in classrooms, a gas which is known to affect cognitive abilities, increase the risk of virus transmissions and cause kidney and bone problems. Improved ventilation is the solution to this, explains Lumb, but the problem is how can this be achieved on such a large scale with little funding available? Then there is the fact that outdoor air is often polluted with fumes from cars on nearby roads, so opening windows will not always fix the issue.

Evotech is now monitoring levels of particulate matter in the Calderdale schools, starting from late 2022, to see how classrooms are affected by this throughout the year. The company has also been raising awareness of air quality in schools through presentations and a variety of resources. Children can track air quality using smiley faces using air quality whiteboards, with red, unhappy faces meaning high CO2 levels and green, happy faces representing low, safe levels of CO2. Lumb says we are starting to see the early signs of indoor air quality being taken more seriously, particularly in corporate environments that have brought in air purification systems on the basis of wellbeing. New building regulations introduced last June also require all new commercial buildings to have CO2 monitors in place. ‘It’s slowly trickling down,’ says Lumb. ‘But my worry is about the nine million schoolchildren.’ Both schools and hospitals are filled with the most vulnerable members of society who are already susceptible to the effects of pollution. It's vital indoor air quality is improved in these environments, but how this will be achieved is still under debate.

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Dr. Scott Lowther, Senior Data Scientist, Dyson

From writing UK Government guidance on carbon dioxide to working with one of the biggest names in air quality, Martin Guttridge-Hewitt talks to an indoor pollution expert about his career, and the need for more research into what we breathe behind closed doors.

Taking any subject to PhD level is a labour of love that comes with a lot of pressure. Working to the highest level in a field, candidates need huge amounts of energy, exhaustive levels of commitment, and — most importantly — real passion for what they do.

So when Scott Lowther drops into our conversation the fact he had plans for an extra paper as part of his doctorate at Lancaster University — on top of the core thesis — you can't help but get the feeling this is a guy who was deeply immersed in his studies. Now employed as a Senior Data Scientist at Dyson, specialising in indoor air pollution measurement, that dedication has clearly continued into his professional career.

“Conversations are happening around some issues, but many, like fumes emitted when burning candles, are more problematic”

Having focused on particulate matter during his time as a postgraduate, although still young his experience speaks volumes about expertise. A spell in China saw him explore possible routes to reducing indoor pollution levels. He then spent six months working in air quality at Public Health England, offering recommendations on different types of

pollutants found inside homes and workplaces, before writing the UK Government's guidance on carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds.

"I was lucky to be involved in quite a bit of the exciting work that was going on around that time," Dr Lowther tells us over Zoom. "My undergraduate degree was Environmental Science, so I suppose I've always been interested in the environment, how human beings interact with it, and ways of improving environmental quality in general. From climate change to various types of pollution."

While subjects tied to the environment are nothing new, and rapidly growing in demand at universities across the country, Lowther's decision to look at indoor air pollution does position him as a comparatively niche expert. So much has and continues to be said about ambient air quality — what we breathe in while outside. But the same is not true for what happens once doors and windows close. Nevertheless, improving public understanding of indoor air pollution is just as important.

"You spend an enormous amount of time in your home, maybe 40 or 50% of every 24 hours. Overall, you're spending 90% indoors, split between a commercial space and domestic. So it's really important to be aware of the pollution," he tells us. "Where a lot of sensing technologies

come in is helping people gauge things that they can't possibly perceive because they can't see pollution. OK, maybe sometimes you are aware, through smell, or it can be inferred that pollution is present due to a specific activity. But sensors, like the technology built into Dyson's air purifiers, might be able to give some context.

"I think a lot of excitement in recent years has come from low cost sensing technology. So we're able to see data much better with relatively low cost equipment. And because there's demand for this, people are thinking about buying these devices, which means there is a lot of growth in citizen science.

That's really exciting — people buying monitors… and basically sending data off to a company which aggregates the information and shares it out to those who are collecting and analysing it," Lowther says.

A number of examples spring to mind. Air Quality News recently reported from the Netherlands, where cyclists are fitting outdoor air monitoring kits to bikes, allowing them to automatically measure and report on pollution levels while out and about. Closer to home, Dyson has developed

what I can do to protect myself'. And what we have learnt from the backpacks, more generally, is that small windows of time during the day can really contribute to your total exposure. So maybe 20 minutes in a pizza restaurant accounts for 70% of your exposure to air pollution that day. Probably more," he continues.

“You spend an enormous amount of time in your home, maybey 40-50% of every 24hrs”

Citing a number of other indoor situations that can exponentially increase the level of dangerous gases or particulate matter you breathe in — not least the London Underground — Lowther is quick to point out the job of getting people to connect place, action and air, without data as proof, isn't always easy. Conversations are happening around some issues, but many, like fumes emitted when burning candles, are more problematic.

"It's definitely difficult, I think there has been a lot of focus on gas stoves, wood burners. Wood burners are particularly bad because there are a lot of emissions going straight out the roof affecting other people," says Lowther.

a backpack that can also read what's in the air. The latest iteration of this represents a big step forward.

"We've now developed an app so users can see what's happening in real time with the air quality around them. So they're learning what their exposure is on the go. Even with the old backpack, which was much less interactive — you had to wait time to get the information — we know from Breathe London that 30 to 40% of parents and students involved in the project changed some element of their behaviour based on the data they had collected," Lowther explains. "It's awesome to be able to have that impact.

"To be able to collate the information, that data, into a format people can see and understand and say: 'OK, here's

"If you look at Chris Whitty's medical report for air pollution, in the UK the trend for pollutants outside is positive. We're slowly resolving the problem of outdoor pollution. It's still a big issue, but indoors is often very much an unknown.

"That's why it's the focus of a lot of academic research, because we are inside so much. So what is actually going on in terms of how much the average person is exposed to?" he adds. 'The cool thing that we can communicate to people is that they don't need to overhaul their entire lives and just stay in one room with five purifiers inside it. We can experience the world, but making quite small changes to behaviour can yield really big impacts in reduced exposure. I think that's a really nice message to tell people."

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Is the UK about to lose its legal protection against polluted air?

By Angus Eames and Emily Kearsey, lawyers at environmental law charity ClientEarth

Air pollution is still a huge problem across the UK but it can be solved with strong political will. But instead of putting forward plans to get to grips with this public health crisis, the UK Government is pushing ahead with a deeply worrying Bill that could rip out clean air legal protections.

Air pollution is bouncing back across the UK…

Science has never been clearer on the harms caused by air pollution, even at low concentrations – and its impacts aren’t limited to respiratory conditions. England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty recently raised the alarm saying “we can and should go further to reduce air pollution”.

The most recent air quality data should be further cause for alarm. Air pollution is slowly creeping back to prelockdown levels. Some areas such as Greater Manchester and Nottingham are already registering even higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution than in 2019.

The sad reality is that every single one of the UK’s air quality reporting zones is recording air pollution above levels recommended by the World

Health Organization. Based on what scientists now know, it’s clear that the air in towns and cities is putting people’s health in jeopardy.

The stakes are high. Toxic air can increase the risk of asthma attacks and strokes, aggravate breathing conditions, and increase the risk of these health issues leading to hospitalisation or worse. It’s also been linked to cancer and dementia.

Besides, the burden of air pollution is not evenly shared. Certain groups, including those on low incomes, are disproportionately affected.

…but a new Bill is threatening to set a bonfire of environmental regulations alight…

Laws exist in our statute books to protect us from dangerously polluted air. ClientEarth went to court on three separate occasions to make sure that our air quality laws are not just words on paper but a shield for those who really need it.

But the Government is threatening to dismantle these laws. They form part of what’s known as retained EU law, meaning they were made during the UK’s time as a member of the EU and, following Brexit, preserved in its

domestic law. Retained EU law covers a range of laws that regulate things like the environment, employment rights and consumer protection. To date, 3,800 pieces of such legislation have been identified but the Government is continuing to find more as its departments assess the statute books.

In the name of ‘freedom postBrexit’, the Government is intent on scrapping these retained laws in an alarmingly short window of time under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill – or ‘REUL Bill’ for short.

Under the REUL Bill, ministers would be able to revoke, replace, restate or update retained EU law without proper parliamentary oversight or public consultation – and any retained law that isn’t specifically addressed by the end of 2023 would automatically expire under a ‘sunset clause’.

This Bill is as frightening as it sounds. It could undo decades of progress and render the Government’s own environmental commitments useless. It is now going through Parliament – with the Government

Angus Eames

Emily Kearsey

unwilling to compromise on amendments.

… with potentially devastating consequences for air quality…

For now, EU-era air quality laws form part of UK national law. For example, the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 sets legal ‘limit values’ on the levels of a number of air pollutants that are harmful for human health and/or the environment. This includes regulation of key pollutants such as NO2, which is primarily produced by road transport and industry and is linked to a number of serious health problems including asthma attacks and strokes. If these limits are breached, it’s up to authorities to put measures in place within “the shortest possible time” to bring air pollution down to legal levels. This is a crucial legal obligation, requiring urgent action.

Another law on the chopping block is the National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2018 (NEC Regulations). This law sets legally binding limits on the amount of man-made emissions that

can be released into the atmosphere in the UK – in contrast to the Air Quality Standards Regulations, which focus on measuring concentrations of air pollutants in the air. These ‘NEC’ limits apply in relation to five key air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). There are also obligations in these regulations for the government to monitor these emissions, predict future emissions, and to produce an effective plan to limit emissions to the specified legal levels.

Come the end of 2023, unless the Government specifically chooses to save them, these legal protections from dirty air will be a thing of the past – with nothing comparable to replace them. This could be devastating to people’s health, leaving it largely to local authorities’ goodwill and resources to make sure that their areas are not choked with toxic levels of pollution.

… and no better protection in sight. What has the Government been

saying in its defence? Not much – merely hollow promises that “environmental standards will be maintained or enhanced”. However, the new air quality targets under the Environment Act 2021 are in no way a substitute for the retained EU law that regulates air pollution.

These new provisions are much narrower than the EU-derived laws, only setting limits for one particular type of air pollution (PM2.5), while the above regulations apply to a much wider array of harmful air pollutants. In addition, the obligations for actions that kick in if the targets are missed are much weaker compared to the mechanisms under the Air Quality Standards Regulations and the NEC Regulations.

Air quality has been worsening across the UK since lockdown lifted – and yet, rather than try to reduce pollution, the Government is off setting itself up to do away with laws that hold it to account over dirty air. For the sake of people’s health and the environment, the REUL Bill needs to be dropped.

Devil in the detail: the under reporting of offshore emissions

Measuring pollutants accurately is vital to understand the most effective ways of tackling climate change and improving air quality. Noah Bovenizer speaks to US research scientist Stuart Riddick about his realisation that the maths behind this process may be all wrong.

When the International Energy Agency warned last year that its Global Methane Tracker indicated oil, gas and coal-related emissions could be much higher than reported, sirens went off. And for good reason. According to the IMF, this greenhouse gas is thought to be responsible for around 30% of global temperature rise to date, so underestimating atmospheric intake could paint a different picture of 21st Century challenges.

Those alarms rang again last month. Inspired by efforts to measure methane around abandoned wells, research scientist Stuart Riddick led a Princeton and Colorado State University team on a study into how much UK offshore oil and gas platforms contribute to levels of the pollutant. The work, co-authored by Denise Mauzerall, offered startling results. Put simply, emissions could be more than four times higher than we think.

‘These were marginal wells that are right in the backwoods of West Virginia, clearly no one had visited them for a year or two, and you've got a lot of gas being emitted

from them. So, the idea was, if this is happening onshore, where you’ve got easy access to these facilities, you know, what's it like offshore, in some of the most inhospitable parts of the world? Obviously out in the North Sea it’s pretty windy, pretty wavy,’ Riddick explains.

To answer his question, Riddick did the only sensible thing. Hitching a ride with a group of fishermen from Lowestoft in 2016, he headed out to sea in search of platforms, trace gas analyser in hand. His mission: measure offshore methane emissions for himself.

‘As we passed the platform you could actually detect the methane that's being lost, so it just brought this idea of, alright, this is under normal operating conditions, and you have a bit of methane slip that’s coming out. What happens if they're actually flaring?’ he says, going on to point out that the calm weather during his visit would also have affected results.

‘What happens in these upset conditions, where you have venting, or you have flaring, or there's an FPSO [Floating Production Storage and Offloading] taking the oil that it’s

got on board and pumping it onto a tanker, which will go back to shore. How much methane would get lost from these events?’ Riddick continues.

While the increase in emission levels that studies like this point to is a fundamental concern, there is a much more pressing question to answer. Is the methodology used to calculate output of this extremely damaging greenhouse gas sound?

Riddick points to a table in his report from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, providing various emission factors that must be taken into account to glean true measurements. Origin dates for most factors go back many decades, but for venting — the direct release of unignited methane for safety purposes —the condition was first derived in 1992.

Riddick also goes further, looking at how the venting factor's number was originally conceived. ‘To derive this figure, you're using a number from 30 years ago, that's based on an expert's opinion and the expert hasn't even been named. And then, if you dig a bit deeper, you see … it was an internal study done by a private company, funded by offshore oil and gas. So, then I went, alright, wait a minute. I contacted them and said: ‘Can I have a copy of this data?’ They completely ignored the request.’

After discovering the errors that he and his co-author

believed were in the framework for the existing figures, Riddick decided to come up with a refreshed emission factor using the UK Government’s own published data for each facility in the country. In doing so, he discovered a more than four-fold increase in methane emissions. ‘You start rereading your work and you're going: 'Is this correct?’' he says.

Although the difference between the new emission levels in the study and existing baselines are surprising, the data has not been presented to anyone in the UK Government as far as Riddick is aware. However, he says new measurements are coming thanks to improved technology and a series of studies from other universities, along with those undertaken by the industry itself.

‘The more advanced measurements I've seen have been taken by industry,’ Riddick explains. ‘There's more skin in the game now as people will be charged for methane emissions which are greater than they’re claiming so companies are going to want to stay under that threshold. They've got many reasons to do that, investment being one of them and/or looking good to the public.’

Worryingly, inaccurate measurements may not be limited to methane emissions in the offshore industry alone. However, as Riddick points out, animals reared for food are thought to be the biggest emitters of methane from a single source, yet ‘there’s never been one measurement of methane emissions from grazing livestock.’ Suffice to say, coming up with an agreement on the methodologies and techniques for a measurement project of this kind is a big factor in moving forward.

‘Until you've got something that's trying to dynamically simulate the real world, that's the only time you're really going to fully understand emissions and that's where you're going to come up with a way of knowing which are the biggest sources and how to mitigate them," Riddick tells us.

Despite this, Riddick doesn’t think the cause is lost. Research, such as that currently underway by Euan Nisbet at Royal Holloway, University of London, has identified methane as a greenhouse gas for which reduction has a more immediate effect then something like carbon dioxide, which remains in the atmosphere for years.

As our conversation comes to a close, we're told about the next steps that can be taken following his study and ongoing work at the Methane Emission Technology Evaluation Centre. According to Riddick, by looking at the biggest sources of gases, the industry can then look at more efficient ways of working. ‘I think just as long as the science is continuing, people are, I think, thinking about ways to make things better.'

Stuart Riddick US research scientist

Cleaner air challenges in a rural authority setting

Matthew Clark, Programme Manager – Air Quality, Sustainable Growth/Public Health Service at Hertfordshire County Council, explores the air quality issues affecting rural authorities

At the November AirQuality News conference, I was invited to sit on the Q&A panel. Never short of something to say, I happily accepted the offer. On the day, questions came with anecdotes of how it is so often city and urban conurbations that hold the gaze. “What about rural authorities?” has been a subtext to discussion over the years. Duly noted, AirQuality News approached me to ask if I could contribute an article looking into some of the aspects rural authorities may have to contend with. So, just in time for the March conference, here we are. A few thoughts on the challenges creating cleaner air in a rural setting.

Across any authority, air quality has many implications including health, sustainability, transport and urban planning. Using the cleaner air agenda to promote these connections is a gift and can help integrate the agenda across council functions.

Pollutant concentrations can be as high in market towns as city centres. Often situated in defendable positions on top of hills, or within river loops, the location met the needs of the time. Fast forward several hundred years, introduce motor vehicles and the very same features contribute to challenges we see today with steep inclines creating additional pollution from the tail pipe and bottlenecks creating congestion.

Adding the built environment to the picture, many historic towns have conservation areas and listed buildings rightly protecting the character of the townscape. This can restrict options for improving air quality and hamper adoption of other sustainable features. With cleaner air and carbon reduction intrinsically linked, future discussion is needed here, but that’s a separate topic for another day.

When travelling, be it for education, work or health care, distances travelled are longer in rural areas. This can shift the purchasing decisions of the local

market toward diesel vehicles with historically higher NO2 emissions - the pollutant of concern in most rural Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA). The National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) suggests a 2% increase in diesel in rural areas compared to urban areas outside of London. Distances and a lack of infrastructure can also detract from investing in cleaner fuelled alternatives, such as electric vehicles.

Distance to travel combined with lower population concentrations create a challenge for mass transit options. Rural authorities are acutely aware of the need to connect people and place. Many public transport routes are subsidised, but this can come with a large price tag and may not be sustainable. On-demand dial-a-ride public transport options such as the HertsLynx service in Hertfordshire are just one-way authorities may evolve.

The distance aspect can also undermine active travel promotion. Sparsely used and isolated routes can be perceived as a personal safety risk. It is one thing to promote active travel within an urban setting where most journeys may be short and wellpopulated, and an entirely different thing in a rural setting where journeys tend to be longer and on outlying routes. This can again promote the private motor vehicle as the first option for a journey.

An aspect of working in a rural authority environmental protection team is the spread of regulatory duties covering typically urban activity as well as more rural flavoured activity such as private water sampling. There are no additional resources provided to reflect the breadth of duties required, yet additional expertise may be necessary. Resource pressure yet again rears its head.

Rural authorities are often attractive to people as retirement options and aspirational for those looking to move away from urban settings later in life.

This top-heavy demographic pyramid can create resource pressures for local authorities. In contrast rural authorities often receive less funding per capita through, for example, central public health grants. Finding resource for local air quality action can therefore be a challenge. The need for a fairer way of providing funding to rural authorities is something most officers will have reflected upon at one time or another.

Some of the most effective yet divisive tools to improve air quality have been Clean Air Zones (CAZ). Significant resource from central government to promote cleaner air through mandated action ‘Local NO2’ plans has been provided. The list mandated for action was increased through the work of Client Earth who successfully challenged the government’s stance on the number of sites required to make changes and the fruits of these labours are now being seen with Sheffield introducing their CAZ last month. Even before CAZ come into force, improvements are often felt in the run up as the fleet moves to avoid the charges – this is highlighted by the Bradford Council case study previously brought to the AirQualityNews conference.

So, how feasible is it for more rural locations to consider CAZ?

Without a dedicated funding source from government the costs alone may be considered prohibitive. The practicalities can also be a challenge. A large urban centre may have economies of scale in terms of placement of infrastructure to facilitate the CAZ. A rural location may need to consider several separate areas of concern which are widely dispersed across the county. On an area basis, the finance and practical challenges may not stack up.

An aspect for rural authorities to consider is the impact of neighbouring city/conurbation CAZ’s on their patch. Some cleaner air improvements may trickle out to the rural surrounding and are always welcomed. However, there are other impacts, such as community severance for those living adjacent to CAZ boundaries, which may have a disproportionate impact on people with low incomes. Given these types of impacts, full support for such schemes can be difficult to achieve particularly if funding to facilitate behavioural change, such as scrappage schemes, stops at the CAZ boundary.

Moving away from the transport angle we may see further nuance in a rural setting in relation to the

rising PM2.5 source in domestic solid fuel-burning. Tools such as smoke control areas may be straightforward (in principle rather than practice) in a city scenario where everyone has an alternative heating source. Rural areas, where there may be dwellings off grid, may require much more careful consideration of the message. It is not a one size fits all agenda although there is certainly a need for a clear information campaign to provide information on the health impacts of domestic solid fuel burning, the largest source of PM2.5 in the UK, to the whole population.

One final aspect of the rural setting is the agricultural contribution to ammonia pollution. Secondary pollutants such as PM2.5’s can form, impacting on human health while the impact on sensitive ecological systems can also be significant. Technical solutions exist: scrubbing exhaust air from intensive poultry units; injecting slurry into the soil and covering slurry stores. There is currently a renewed focus on this agenda setting good practice for some of these activities. But is guidance alone enough?

So, to sum up there are challenges to creating cleaner air in rural authorities with distance of journeys, a

dispersed population, lack of resource and additional pollution sources. A fairer deal for rural authorities would be welcomed to reflect these points. Despite additional resources always being welcome, the promotion of bidding processes for levelling up, to compensate for an inequity in the primary funding routes, is not an adequate solution.

A nuanced approach to information provision is needed to land cleaner air messages across all parts of rural authorities from the town centres to the hamlets. Information, when it lands, is the first step to stimulate a behavioural change and a call to action to enable a move to a future providing cleaner air for all.

An advantage rural authorities may have in the agenda is the ability to promote low exposure routes. There may be more ‘less trafficked’ routes in rural authorities outside of hotspots compared to a city environment.

Hertfordshire County Council are currently producing information to promote the use of less trafficked routes and are considering how countryside rights of way can promote movement with low pollution exposure and thanks DEFRA for contributing to this project with grant funding.

Alphasense supplies high-quality gas and particulate sensors to many of the world’s leading industrial OEMs in the air quality, industrial and gas safety industries. With over 25 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of high-accuracy sensors, the Alphasense brand is synonymous with quality and innovation, particularly in the fields of gas detection, industrial gas analysis and environmental monitoring

With decades of experience and high levels of expertise, including a UK-wide network of highly trained and equipped service engineers; Acoem UK is able to select the best instruments from leading global manufacturers. These include Ecotech, AQMesh, Palas, Aethlabs, Thermo, 2B Technologies, Lufft and others Part of the ACOEM Group, we are committed to sustainable development and helping companies and public authorities limit their environmental impact. We offer products and services that prevent and control air, noise and vibration pollution, increase the productivity and reliability of industrial machinery & contribute to the development of effective, robust & noiseless products.

AQMesh is the proven small sensor outdoor air quality monitor manufactured in the UK by Environmental Instruments Ltd and supported worldwide through a global network of distributors. It has been designed to offer a robust and easy-to-use air quality monitoring system that can deliver localised real-time readings, improving the accuracy and scope of gathering air quality data in order to support initiatives to reduce air pollution and its risk to human health.

AS Modelling & Data Ltd

AS Modelling & Data provides dispersion and deposition modelling using the latest version of ADMS for a wide range of clients including farms, the waste water industry, waste management, general manufacturing and Local Authorities. Our team can provide the expertise, modelling, data and reports for odour, ammonia and air quality assessments including detailed modelling of emissions from ammonia scrubbers and innovative ventilation systems.

AS Modelling & Data can also provide meteorological station data and site-specific Numerical Weather Prediction data for any site location in the world, which can be converted for use within ADMS. We can provide data for meteorological parameters on request and data can be provided quickly at affordable prices.

stevesmith@asmodata.co.uk

T: +44 (0) 1376 556700

https://www.alphasense.com/

Bosch Air Quality Solutions

Acoem UK

T:01684 857530

https://www.acoem.co.uk/

T: +44 (0)1789 777703 www.aqmesh.com

T: 01952 462500

www.asmodata.co.uk

The Bosch air quality portfolio is focused on providing highly precise data with the expertise to improve the air quality around us. Offering a tool to local authorities to understand source emissions and model the implications on air quality. Highly beneficial for current advanced traffic management including assessing the effect on air quality for planned infrastructure projects.

We measure pollutants using our Certified Air Quality Monitoring Box (AQMB) measuring Ambient Gases and Indicative PM (Optical Particle Counter) and track these pollutants independently or in combination with our Air Quality Software solutions; Environmentally Sensitive Traffic Management (ESTM) and Air Quality Dispersion Model (AQDM).

E: Ian.Larbey@uk.bosch.com

https://www.bosch-mobilitysolutions.com/en/solutions/airquality-solutions/air-qualitysolutions/

Cambustion is an independent, privately owned company with headquarters in Cambridge, UK. The company was founded in 1987 by a research group at Cambridge University Engineering Department, to produce a fast response Flame Ionisation Detector for hydrocarbon measurement. This analyzer had immediate applications in engine and catalyst development and found users at OEMs and universities, since the rapid time response allowed new insights into engine behaviour.

Today the company has two groups, the Products group and the Engineering Services group.

Data Monitoring Systems Ltd are a complete data solutions provider From your single analyser, right through to your complete network, our Data Gateway has the ability to connect to 20 analysers simultaneously. Major analysers, for example, Thermo, Palas, Ecotech, Vaisala, and more may be connected to our Data Gateways with automatic calibrations also being carried out. Data ratification, and reports may be carried using our Reports package.

Coming soon: Indoor Air Monitoring system measuring:

• TVOC,

• Particles

• CO2

• Temperature

• Humidity with display, mobile phone and WiFi connectivity.

W: Web portal for displaying your data.

T: Mobile phone application.

T: 01223 210 250

https://www.cambustion.com/

T: 01382 524916 enquiries@datamonitoring. co.uk

www.datamonitoring.co.uk

EarthSense is a leading air quality specialist, providing expert services in air pollution monitoring, modelling and data provision. EarthSense deliver innovative solutions, enabling the world to visualise and manage its air quality issues with the mantra: Measure. Model. Act.

Offering a complete data solution to air pollution from inception to implementation, EarthSense’s modelling and monitoring products highlight a reputation for technical excellence in air quality services in the UK and abroad. Products include the Zephyr air quality monitor and versatile modelling programme MappAir, carefully validated against the government standard Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN) for gaseous pollutants including Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone and Particulate Matter.

T: 0116 296 7460

www.earthsense.co.uk

Enviro Technology Services (ET)

Straightforward, modern, cloudbased environmental monitoring solutions. High quality, with exceptional value for money.

EEMC Monitors, sole UK distributors for Omnidots, offer Mcerts certified particulate monitoring. This cloud-based solution, using Omnidots intuitive, Honeycomb cloudplatform, provides real-time data visualisation, email/SMS alerts and remote system configuration and updates.

We also provide industry-leading vibration monitoring using the SWARM Vibration Monitor, a compact device, quick and easy to deploy and designed with construction applications in mind. EEMC Monitors offer a complete solution for monitoring of both dust and vibration ensuring all your data is accessible on one cloudbased platform.

EEMC Monitors

T: 0208 012 7933

https://www.eemc-monitors. co.uk/

Enviro Technology Services (ET) was founded in 1983. Now active in over 60 countries with a multimillion pound turnover, ET has evolved over 37 years to become a global provider of air quality and emissions monitoring systems and servicing.

The UK-based company sell and lease equipment, systems and services covering the monitoring of ambient air quality (AQM), continuous emissions (CEM) and indoor air quality. ET also supplies cutting-edge analytical equipment for scientific, process and research monitoring including the monitoring of greenhouse and toxic gases.

The company has the UK’s largest network of field-based service engineers in the industry. The team service air monitoring equipment on some 500 sites across the UK and Ireland, as well as work on global installation projects.

T: 01453 733200

https://www.et.co.uk/

Turnkey Instruments Ltd. design and manufacture a range of easyto-use dust monitors, created to continuously measure and record the concentration of airborne particles. Our instruments feature two modes; in environmental mode they can simultaneously monitor the concentrations of TSP, PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 particles, while their workplace mode monitors the inhalable, thoracic and respirable fractions. In addition, they all include a data logging feature.

Every product includes a proprietary nephelometer, designed and produced by ourselves, that analyses the individual particles of an air sample as they pass through a laser beam; the particles are then collected on the reference filter. This advanced technology allows fractions to be determined at concentrations up to several mg/m³.

T: +44 (0)1606 330020

https://turnkey-instruments. com/

At Marston Holdings we understand the current challenges our local authority clients are facing whether they be social, economic or environmental.

We work collaboratively with our 500+ clients in the UK and EU to develop, refine and execute a wide range of end to end transport and enforcement solutions to meet their local and combined air quality and environmental targets and objectives.

We provide complete design, build and enforce services for clean air zones and low emission zones and are working with many cities and regions on their bespoke solutions.

Compelled by worsening levels of air pollution in the UK, Evotech launched its specialist air quality division to help customers create safer working environments and is currently supporting clients to improve confidence in returning to the workplace during and after the pandemic. We help UK businesses and organisations create healthier and safer working environments by monitoring and transforming their indoor air quality.

HORIBA offers cutomer oriented tailor-made system solutions with its state-of-the-art analytical technologies and more than 50 years experience in ambient air market. As your true partner in environmental preservation, we deliver air quality monitoring, indoor air quality monitoring , clean room airborne molecular contamination monitoring , quality control and stationary emission monitoring by diluted stack gas monitoring.

T: 01604548500

https://www.horiba.com/int/ process-and-environmental/

GRAMM is the UK leading specialist in the design, supply & installation of environmental acoustic barriers with over 20 years of experience. We have constructed literally 1,000’s of Km’s of acoustic barriers of all types of materials throughout the UK and Europe.

GRAMM SmogStop Barrier reduces air and noise pollution levels in surrounding neighbourhoods, and takes a two-pronged approach to reducing air pollution from major roads, highways and railways. The patented aerodynamic design reduces pollution levels by enhancing dispersion so that neighbouring residents can breathe easier. At the same time, a proprietary coating on the barrier actually breaks down the NOx and VOCs that produce smog, transforming them into harmless by-products.

GRAMM is the exclusive UK partner for SmogStop.

T: 07767 833034

www.marstonholdings.co.uk/ airquality/

GRAMM SmogStop

T: 01323 872243

https://www.smogstop.co.uk/

Vortex IoT offers a suite of cleantech air quality monitoring solutions that help organisations deliver greater environmental impact at an affordable price. Vortex IoT SalixAir sensors and our ultra-low mesh network help drive down carbon footprint by removing the need to visit the device location for any maintenance or servicing needs. The result is that organisations can say goodbye to time consuming maintenance schedules as the sensors are managed remotely, lowering the cost of ownership and further supporting carbon reduction. In addition, we increase environmental impact by planting a tree with each device sold.

T: +44 (0)1792 73205

E: info@vortexiot.com

W: https://vortexiot.com/

T: 0333 207 4245 www.evotechairquality.co.uk/

Whatever your air quality or transport decarbonisation plans, Marston Holdings can help at every step with market leading solutions incorporating:

Hyperlocal AQ data monitoring and visualisation

Design and planning of AQ interventions

Technology solutions to support AQ schemes

On street and digital enforcement services

We provide unrivalled services for local authorities to achieve long-term air quality improvements.

Speak to a member of the team to find out more.

Combining the very best for a brighter, cleaner future! www.marstonholdings.co.uk/airquality

airquality@marstonholdings.co.uk