Shropshire’s air quality highlighted at World Environmental Health Day

Visitors were given the opportunity this week (Monday 26 September 2011) at Shropshire’s World Environmental Health Day to find out more about the findings and initiatives taking place in response to the County’s Air Quality Progress Report 2009/10.

Shropshire Council’s environmental health workers were on hand to talk to visitors at Shirehall in Shrewsbury about the work taking place to measure air quality in the county.

A recent Government audit report highlighted that poor air quality probably causes more ill health than passive smoking, road traffic accidents or obesity.  It is responsible for around 35,000 early deaths annually in the UK, reduces average life expectancy by 8 months and has a cost to the UK economy of between £8-20 billion per year.  Shropshire Council has recently reviewed air quality data for 2009 and 2010 to identify changes in air quality and evaluate trends that require further assessment.

Shropshire Council monitors air quality at over 120 locations throughout Shropshire, measuring mainly nitrogen dioxide and fine particulates associated with traffic emissions and industry to assess whether European air quality standards established to protect health are likely to be exceeded. 

There are currently five locations in Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Bayston Hill (Shrewsbury) and Bridgnorth where pollutant concentrations of nitrogen dioxide exceed European standards and have been declared Air Quality Management Areas.  In these areas there is extended monitoring of air pollution, and action plans have been developed to attempt to reduce the air pollution which is mainly due to vehicle exhaust emissions.
Analysis of the data from the 2009 and 2010 periods indicate a continuing gradual increase in levels of nitrogen dioxide particularly at roadside locations.  This reflects trends in the remainder of the UK and Europe and is contrary to the Government projections based on emission inventories suggesting reduction in levels of pollution.  These measured variations from projected values are being further reviewed but are thought to be linked to higher than expected exhaust emissions of nitrogen dioxide from diesel passenger vehicles and public service vehicles.

This data will be used to inform the full Shropshire air quality updating and screening review due in 2012 to identify further steps to reduce exposure to elevated air pollution levels.  Based on the data from 2009 and 2010, Shropshire Council is carrying out further review of areas where air quality is approaching the European limits in areas of Bridgnorth Low Town, Cleobury Mortimer, Wem and Ludlow town centre. 

In addition the council has secured Government funding to carry out groundbreaking research work to examine the real-time emissions from vehicles in normal traffic conditions, to examine whether the unexpected increases in pollution are due as suggested to under-estimates of emissions from certain vehicles.
Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental health, said:

“Air pollution is a problem indoors and outdoors, and the recent data suggests that the levels of air pollution in Shropshire are unexpectedly increasing particularly close to roads due to vehicle exhaust emissions.  This is not a problem unique to Shropshire and our data reflects national trends.  We are carrying out further extensive work to review the impact of this pollution and working with world-leading technologies to support national research to identify the causes of these increases in air pollution.  We will then use the results of this work to inform our future air quality action plans to protect the health of our residents.”