London Air Quality - Pollution

Get you with your fancy memory.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/shocking-photo-shows-london-covered-in-thick-black-layer-of-smog-as-pollution-hits-twice-normal-a3411041.html

So, this happened in Paris:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/public-transport-made-free-in-paris-due-to-high-levels-of-pollution-a3414661.html

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/londoners-immune-systems-weakened-by-capitals-toxic-air-a3415116.html

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/jogging-or-cycling-in-polluted-london-increases-risk-of-heart-failure-a3417796.html

Surely this should be "Pollution increases risk of heart failure".
https://twitter.com/chrisgerhard/status/808226430605815808

I asked my GP if there was a test to see if a chronic cough was due to pollution, like they test for allergies. He said no. But I'm due to talk to the senior GP and then see a specialist so will ask again. If there is I will let you know. I'm sure they must be able to check lead poisoning or something like that.

Why lead?

Thing is, the logical approach is to wear a mask but as most of us know, the current state of masks is awful. What to do?

Ride a bicycle as quickly as you can from A to B to reduced exposure?

It's fucking horrible, I'm currently living at my parents at the moment to save up, and the difference between here and London is astronomical.

Look I do try but I'm starting to feel the effects. Sinuses are horrible and sniffles getting worse, with headaches some evenings when traffic is heavy along the lea bridge road. Time to see if there has been any advances in masks in recent years

it's all I can think of, perhaps wearing a buff could help but ultimately very little we can do.

Another idea is to ride in a different road with less traffic.

At least we're not living in Bejing (unless you are - sure it's lovely, excepting the insane smog): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g1zAJS_C2k

Oh great...

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jan/04/living-near-heavy-traffic-increases-dementia-risk-say-scientists

and...
http://www.itv.com/news/london/2017-01-06/yearly-pollution-limits-broken-just-five-days-into-2017/

Repost.

Where? This was depressing news yesterday.

It won't be nearly enough, but after years of stasis there is at last some Mayoral action:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/sadiq-khan-creates-new-green-bus-zones-as-part-of-plan-to-clean-up-londons-air-a3433976.html

It was humour regarding loss of memory.

Ha - it made me question whether I'd seen it on here before and forgotten!

Why aren't the vehicles taxes base on how harmful the emission is to people?

Vehicle taxes are based on CO2 emissions, i.e how much they contribute to climate change. Unfortunately measures to reduce emmissions of greenhouse gassesses often come at the expense of toxic air pollutants like NO2.

Diesel cars are generally less bad for climate change as they do more miles per gallon but worse for local air pollution as they emit more NO2 and PM. Petrol cars are the other way around. Curently tax on cars and fuel is designed to mitigate CO2 emissions, in order to meet UK commitments on reducing green house gasses. This has caused a big uptake in the use of diesel.

The best advise for reducing your exposure to air pollution on the bike is to choose routes away from heavy traffic, especially slow moving heavy traffic. Pollution concentrations drop off very quickly as you get further away from roads, so a quiet back street or cycle route in a park is of genuine benefit, even in central London. (Obviously this advise only works IF there is a good route away from heavy traffic, which isn't often the case)

Pollution drops off so quickly from the roadside that standing back from the kerb when you are waiting for a bus is also a good idea, even a couple of meters.

If you can choose the time of day when you ride that can help too. Avoid late morning when pollution often spikes due to the rush hour, in winter the late morning pollution concentrations are often even higher because a layer of cold air at the land surface traps the pollution and stops it dispersing.

Late afternoon can also be bad as the evening rush hour adds to the whole day's emissions. This is worse in summer if there is high air pressure (low wind stops pollution dispersing, sunlight causes build up of ozone pollution in some conditions).

Stay healthy, everyone.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/all-londoners-including-the-fit-and-healthy-warned-over-breathing-toxic-air-as-sadiq-khan-issues-a3447706.html

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/black-toxic-air-warning-in-london-for-second-day-running-a3448461.html

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-pollution-levels-sent-soaring-by-wood-fires-during-cold-snap-a3448101.html