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October 2021 Issue 186

WHO slashes NO2 to 10µg/m3

WHO air quality guidelines for NO2 drop from 40 to 10 and PM2.5 from 10 to 5.
l More page 5

Walley’s quarry: Agency told to get tough on odour

Permitting must take into account the most vulnerable residents in the vicinity of a process, says the High Court, and the Environment Agency must tell the operator how to cut emissions.
The Agency is appealing. l More page 8

Ozone alert

Widespread moderate ozone and particulates PM10 and PM2.5 were measured across London and the south-east of England on Sunday 5th September through to Wednesday 8th September.

Scottish struggle with PM

Scotland has extended a study on problematic ‘reference’ particle monitoring that has been giving large under-reads.
Bath restrictions leads to cleaner air

Bath's tight zone cleans the air

Despite having a highly targeted clean air zone, Bath is reporting reduced concentrations since restrictions were introduced.

Air quality in the Lords

Former Environmental Protection UK chairman Lord Whitty spotted a loophole in proposed air quality provisions in the Environment Bill currently passing through the Lords.

Local powers plea

UK local authorities and the City of London Corporation have tried again to get tough new powers to tackle air pollution caused by boilers, construction machinery and generators in the debate in the House of Lords on the Environment Bill.

London: all new buses to be zero emission

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announces that all new TfL buses in London will now be zero-emission, bringing forward by three years the previously announced deadline of a a 100% zero emission fleet to 2034.

Taxi exodus

Tougher emissions regulations are blamed for low demand for hackney cab licences in Nottingham.

DfT looks to cut train fumes

Research funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and conducted by RSSB, on six types of train, has found poor air quality on some diesel trains albeit within legal workplace limits.

Welsh on ozone

The Welsh Government is to rely on ozone machines to clean up indoor air. The machines are controversial as the cleansing impacts of ozone can also damage lungs.

Firmer evidence of Covid link

A meta-analysis commissioned by the Mayor of London appears to confirm that air pollution increases the impact of Covid. It includes more recent studies backing up earlier studies that suggested impacts.

UK updates air pollutant inventory

Pollutant inventories have been updated for the UK. Once again they show ammonia remains a problem pollutant.

More detail released on air quality grant

Defra has confirmed that air quality grant will be £7m this year and provided further details on priorities.