What is air quality?

Air quality is about the air that we breathe.

Although air quality is improving rather than getting worse a number of problems still exist. For instance breathing in polluted air causes a number of problems, especially for young children, the elderly and those with heart and lung problems.
Although pollution comes from a number of sources in Lambeth, road traffic is the main contributor.

Causes

London has a long history of suffering from pollution. As recently as the 1950s London experienced ‘pea souper’ smogs leading to a number of governmental clean air regulations which focused on closing down coal-fired power stations and installing more efficient heating systems in homes.

However, despite improvements in some areas, increasing use of the private motor vehicle has led to rising levels of air pollution. In Lambeth approximately 90 per cent of air pollution is attributed to road traffic.

Problems

Air pollution kills 24,000 people every year in the UK₁

Exhaust fumes from cars with petrol and diesel engines contain pollutants that are harmful to human health. These include Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) and very fine particulates of soot and dust. Although invisible to the human eye, they make respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis worse and are thought to increase the risk of heart attacks.

In addition to polluting the air we breathe, motor vehicles also release Carbon Dioxide (CO₂). This gas contributes to climate change, which is linked to causing extreme weather events such as floods and droughts.

1. Department of Health/Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants “Quantification of the effects of air pollution in health in the UK” 1998