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Agenda item

Scrutiny Review - Health Implications of Air Quality - witness evidence - Verbal

Minutes:

Ian Mudway, Kings College was present for discussion of this matter. The revised SID had been circulated for Members, following the amendments made at the last meeting. A progress report on the implementation of the recommendations from the Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee in 2013 was laid round.

 

During consideration of the evidence the following main points were made –

 

·         Pollution from traffic includes exhaust emissions, brake/tyre wear, resuspension of road dust, particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, ultrafine particles, black carbon (soot), and VOC’s, PAH’s, metals

·         There is now a significant evidence base to identify the effects on health of pollution

·         Pollution has an effect on the quality of life and increases vulnerability of members of the population to illness and premature death

·         Pollution can cause inflammation, impaired lung function, injury/remodelling, impaired microbial defences, blood viscosity, promotes atherosclerosis, impaired vascular function, ischaemia, and arrhythmias

·         Pollution results in 29000 premature deaths each year, 4300 in Greater London, and costs £26 billion a year

·         There is evidence that improving air pollution delivers measurable health benefits

·         It was stated that there needed to be behaviour shifts and that people needed to be encouraged to walk and to cycle – there were many unnecessary journeys made by car of under 1km

·         Health benefits would increase if people avoided busy roads and the pollution these contain and drivers need to realise that when sitting in traffic jams they are inhaling a toxic combination of pollutants

·         It was stated that Councils could restrict parking spaces and this would encourage more people to walk or cycle

·         Reference was made to the fact that whilst schools could not help where they were located, improvements could be made if air filters were installed, which would improve air quality

·         Ian Mudway added that whilst people should be encouraged to change behaviours, it was often more effective to impose regulation and this was the major source of improvement of air quality in the past

·         In response to a question it was stated that air quality in London had recently slowly stared to improve as a result of the measures taken

·         Members enquired as to the best documents to source in relation to air quality and health and it was stated that these were the Royal College of Physicians Every Step You Take report – Executive Summary, and the US Environment Protection Agency report on Air Pollution. The London Air Agency website is also a good information source

·         Reference was made to the Air Quality scrutiny and that this should be referred when completed to the Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee

·         In response to a question it was stated that in addition to the pollutants from diesel and other particulates, brake wear and other components on a car contributed to pollution

·         Reference was also made to pollution on the London Underground and that discussion is taking place with TfL, however there had to date been no comprehensive study to assess air quality on the London Underground

 

 

The Chair thanked Ian Mudway for his presentation

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