Today, Thursday 17th June 2021, is Clean Air Day.
Clean Air Day, led by Global Action Plan, is the UK’s largest campaign against air pollution. This year, Clean Air Day is expected to engage thousands of people at real-life events and reach millions through online media. The campaign is of great importance, as poor air quality causes lung and heart diseases, birth defects, issues with children’s lung development, and perhaps also contributes to mental health problems.
In fact, air pollution is the greatest environmental risk to human health. The World Health Organisation states that air pollution kills around 7 million globally each year – and 4.2 million deaths are a result of outdoor air pollution. Financially, Public Health England estimated that in 2017 air pollution cost the NHS and social care system over £42 million.
The main causes of outdoor air pollution are traffic emissions, with power generation, agricultural processes, and waste management practices also contributing. Recently, wildfire smoke has become a greater contributor to air pollution levels, as a result of climate change. Additionally, removing vegetation within urban areas can worsen the impacts of air pollution.
All of these problems are contributing to dirtier air, and as cities continue to develop and grow, such issues must be countered. The UK Government reports on air pollution levels annually, and many urban UK areas are repeatedly found to have illegally high levels of air pollution.
There was a brief respite in air pollution levels in 2020, as the first Covid-19 lockdown was instated. However, as lockdown was relaxed levels increased again, and now air pollution levels show little sign of dropping. Studies have suggested that air pollution makes the impacts of Covid-19 worse – yet, the pandemic is causing many UK local authorities to scrap or reduce their Clean Air Zone plans.
Air pollution is a major problem facing the world today – and one that is not being given the appropriate attention and urgency it requires. Clean air ought to be a basic need, but it is often being thought of as a luxury, with harmful air pollution levels mostly affecting poorer communities, and those living in the developing world. This needs to change.
There are many commitments companies can make to help reduce air pollution levels. Lowering vehicle emissions is a great start, and can be done by transitioning to electric vehicles and encouraging staff to use greener modes of transport (e.g. through cycle to work schemes). Another good step is to follow the principles of the circular economy and ensure that clean energy is being used.
Here at Albion, we have been working towards raising awareness of dust and bioaerosols (airborne microorganisms – such as bacteria and fungi – or tiny fragments of larger organisms), both of which can be harmful outdoor air pollutants. Through a KTP project on bioaerosols, we are also expanding consultancy capacity for monitoring and reviewing bioaerosol concentrations, which is a major issue with organic waste management and intensive animal farming systems. To find out more about our bioaerosol services, click here.
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