Air pollution

[niassfattie]

When I walk with toddler in the pram I think about all the air pollution frim the cars. I can smell it and know I'm breathing it.

Anyone else worried?

Yes, which is why I will always choose less busy roads to walk down if I can

Your local council will be monitoring air quality. It may be measuring nitrogen dioxide(nox) and/or particulate matter(pm10/5/2.5). The statutory threshold is actually pretty high although WHO recommendations are much lower. Main sources include busy roads, airport, industrial activity or activity involving fuel combustion ie. Log burners or open fires.

Right?

So you can look up their annual report, check the area/roads you are concerned about and they may discuss what plans and mitigations are in place. For areas of specific concern there may be a designated Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) in place. Air quality monitoring comes under DEFRA if you want to look further into it.

I don't really know what you can do to stop a car putting out fumes on the school run.... The same school run I use a car to do.... There isn't alternative roads either or paths :(

I just think there are thousands of cars in cities, and we are all breathing in fumes.... Ticking time bomb

The ticking bomb is already here. Air pollution already affects public health (asthma, copd, lung and heart disease, stroke risk etc) and the environment. It would be sadly naive to think electric vehicles are a solution as while exhaust fumes may be reduced particulate matter would increase (heavier vehicles create more wear and tear on brakes, tyres and roadsurface) so just swap one problem for another.

It's bad isn't it

Depends what your benchmark is. What you fear is “bad” may well still be within the statutory level. Trends for logburners, rubbish incinerators, home delivery vans, stop/start traffic, diesel suvs and so on all add to the problem but are unlikely to go away. Proposals to address potential impact on school children include walking bus schemes, pedestrian zones outside school and Clean Air Schools projects but some of these measures are not popular.

Still not going to.stop car users commuting....

Quite

We will hopefully continue to shift to less polluting vehicles and in cities more people will choose other options such as public transport and cycling and private car ownership will continue to go down