Cities with relatively high standards of air quality can still impact the public’s health, proving how important it is to reduce air pollution as much as possible and make sure buildings are designed to resist any outside smog.
A study by the University of British Columbia, conducted by the US Health Effects Institute, revealed some deaths in the cleanest areas of Canada were related to dirty air.
Census records between 1981 and 2016, together with air pollution data, showed that 8,000 people die every year in Canada due to poor air quality, with even low levels of pollution having a negative effect on health.
Professor Michael Brauer from the University of British Columbia stated: “These findings suggest important health benefits could be gained from continued reductions in air pollution and more stringent regulatory standards, including in countries such as Canada and the UK.”
He suggested standards be reassessed every year, instead of every five to ten years, as there is no ‘safe’ level of air pollution, and therefore, the “health impacts are far too large”.
Some areas of the UK are doing their best to reduce air pollution, such as Edinburgh, which rolled out a city-wide speed limit of 20mph in 2018.
Recent analysis on the impact of the change three years after it was introduced stated: “All NO2 automatic monitoring locations in Edinburgh show a downward trend in NO2 concentrations.”
This demonstrates that reducing speed limits has helped to improve air quality in the city.
For more information about testing air quality, click here.
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