Effective Local Action on Air Quality in London - Ian Mudway
1. Effective local action on
air pollution in London
Dr Ian S Mudway
MRC-HPA Centre for Environment &
Health, King’s College London
Issues and responses
2. •Particulate matter
•Oxides of Nitrogen
•Carbon Monoxide
•Ultrafine particles
•Carbon black
•VOCs, PAHs, metals
•Exhaust emissions
•Petrol
•Diesel
•Biodiesel
•Additives
•Brake / tyre wear
•Resuspension of road dust
•Local sources
•Urban background
•Regional
•Indoor / Outdoor
Exposure
3. 3
• UK population lost 340,000
years of life in 2008
• This loss of life is equivalent
to 29,000 deaths
• the average loss of life would
have been 2 years, (though the
actual amount would vary
between individuals).
•The burden can also be
represented as a loss of life
expectancy from birth (for
everyone) of 6 months
Published December 2010
As a result of poor air quality:
4. Summary of Air Pollution Related Health Effects-
Epidemiology Evidence Synthesis
Mortality
Asthma and Respiratory - Children
Asthma and Respiratory - Adults
All-cause and Cardiovascular mortality
Asthma onset and prevalence
Asthma is more common in children living in the street buffers with
the highest concentrations of traffic-related pollution
Exacerbation of asthma symptoms
Children living in hot spots of traffic-related pollution experience
more symptoms and exacerbations
Adult-onset of asthma (one study)
Exacerbation of asthma symptoms (few studies)
Hospitalisation rates
Association with Traffic
Air Pollution Exposure
Sufficient
Sufficient
Sufficient
Insufficient
Suggestive but not sufficient
Insufficient
Health Outcome
HEI (2010) Special Report 17
5. Summary of Air Pollution Related Health Effects-
Epidemiology Evidence Synthesis
Respiratory Symptoms
Lung function
TRAFFIC
Living in proximity to high concentration of traffic air pollution
may be associated with reduced lung function
NON-TRAFFIC SPECIFIC AIR POLLUTION
Evidence for a casual association between ambient air pollution
in general and lung growth
Possible evidence for a lung-function decline in adults in relation
to exposure to air pollution in general
Association with
Air Pollution Exposure
Suggestive
but not sufficient
Health Outcome
HEI (2010) Special Report 17
Sufficient
Suggestive
but not sufficient
Cardiovascular effects; birth outcome; cognitive development
6. McCreanor al. (2007) New Eng J Med 357: 2348-2358.
Does short term exposure to real world atmospheres (diesel traffic and
background) cause respiratory effects in asthmatics?
Hyde Park
Oxford Street
PM10 =72 µg m-3, PM2.5 =11.2 µg m-3,
11.7 ppb NO2 18,300 particles cm-3
PM10 =125 µg m-3, PM2.5 =28.3 µg m-3,
76.5 ppb NO2 63,700 particles cm-3
Responses to PM in the Real World
7. Responses to PM in the Real World
Impaired lung function Inflammation
McCreanor J et al. N Engl J Med. 2007 Dec 6;357(23):2348-58
10. Beckerman et al. (2008) Atmos Enviro. 42:275-290.
PM Concentration Near a Major Road
Prevailing Wind
Ultrafine, PM0.1
Fine, PM2.5
NO2
50m
100m
500m
11. 11
Postcodes in the Tower Hamlets area
within 100 m of major road
Children’s respiratory health
21. 1. Robust and extensively reviewed evidence of the effects of air pollution on
numerous acute and chronic health points
2. Even if London met its legal targets, this does not mean air quality is safe as
there is no evidence of a safe threshold
3. The observed effects (epidemiology) are supported by toxicology
4. High exposures amongst many of London’s most vulnerable populations
5. Improvements in engine technology have failed to deliver improved air
quality
6. Short term personal mitigation strategies may be the only viable short term
solution in the absence of political will to tackle the number of diesel
vehicles on the roads
Conclusions
