Air Quality
Information on air pollution and how this can impact on health.
Contents
- What is air pollution?
- What types of air pollution exist and where do they come from?
- Why does air pollution matter?
- Monitoring air quality
- Who works to improve air quality
- How can air quality be improved?
- Current clean air projects and initiatives
- More information and resources
What is air pollution?
Air pollution is a build-up of harmful gases and particulates. It is recognised as the largest environmental threat to public health disproportionately affecting children, the elderly and those with existing health conditions. Air pollution can also have a negative impact on the environment, biodiversity, and crop yields.
Air pollution comes from both human-caused (industry, transport, agriculture, and fuel combustion) and natural (volcanoes, wildfires, sea spray, pollen, soil, and sandstorms) sources.
Key messages:
- Air pollution affects everyone and can particularly affect some individuals who are more vulnerable
- There are health, economic and environmental effects of poor air quality
- Health effects include asthma, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia and stroke
- No safe levels of air pollutants have been identified
- Air quality is measured and monitored closely
- Government, local authorities and charities undertake work to improve air quality
- Everyone can take steps to reduce their impact on and improve air quality.
What types of air pollution exist and where do they come from?
There are many sources of air pollution. These can affect us in both indoor and outdoor settings. The major contributors to air pollution are:
- Particulate Matter (PM)
- Outdoor sources: from natural sources such as sea spray, dust and vegetation fires. Human-caused sources include industrial, building and quarry sites, combustion of fuels, wood burning, fossil fuels, diesel vehicles, brake pads and tyre wear. Particulate matter is often high around industrial sites and busy roads with heavy vehicles and slow-moving traffic
- Indoor sources: boilers, heaters, fires and wood burners, during cooking on stoves and ovens. Wood burning is now the second largest producer of particulate matter after construction & manufacturing industries
- Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
- Outdoor sources: Produced during combustion, vehicle fuel emissions. NOx levels are high around busy roads
- Indoor sources: boilers, heaters, fires and wood burners, during cooking on stoves and ovens
- Ammonia (NH3)
- Outdoor sources: from natural sources such as animal manure and biomass. Human-caused sources such as crop fertilisers, trains boats and planes
- Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
- Outdoor sources: Burning of sulphur containing fuels such as coal and oil. Factories, petrol refineries, building sites and transport. Sulphur dioxide is often high around roads
- Indoor sources: heating, gas boilers, fires, and wood burners
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Outdoor sources: from industrial and agricultural processes, building sites and materials, chemicals, paints, varnishes, flame retardants, pesticides, and disinfectants
- Indoor sources: cleaning and personal care products, building materials and consumer household products (paints, carpets, laminates, cleaning products, air-fresheners, hair sprays, candles, polishing) and furniture. Tobacco smoke and second-hand smoke are also a source of VOCs
The image depicts the major air pollutants from:
- Industry, fuel refineries, building and quarry sites as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and volatile organic compounds,
- Housing and indoor sources as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and volatile organic compounds,
- Farming and agriculture as volatile organic compounds and ammonia, and
- Transport as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide.
Why does air pollution matter?
No safe level of air pollutants has been found. This means adverse health effects may be seen at even low levels of air pollution. Small reductions in air pollutants can have large beneficial effects to human health and the environment. Secondary benefits include improved wellbeing, increased physical activity through use of active transport, noise reduction, improved road safety and can help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Health effects of air pollution
Air pollution can cause ill health at all stages of life. Both short and long term exposures have health risks. Short-term exposures can increase hospital admission rates. Long term exposure can reduce life expectancy.
In the unborn child and infants, it can lead to:
- low birth weight
- suppressed lung growth and function
- pregnancy loss
- sudden infant death
In children, exposure to air pollution can lead to:
- suppressed lung growth and function
- increased risk of respiratory disease such as asthma.
For adults there is an increased risk of:
- cardiovascular disease (heart failure, heart attacks, arrhythmias)
- respiratory disease
- cancer
- stroke
- dementia
- mental health issues
- metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
Several groups are more affected by air pollution, these are:
- Older people
- Children
- Pregnant women
- Individuals with existing cardiovascular or respiratory disease
- Communities in areas of higher pollution, such as close to busy roads
- Low-income communities as they are more likely to have existing medical conditions, live in areas with poorer indoor and outdoor environments such as near industry or busy roads, and have less access to green spaces.
Where poor air quality leads to lost days working and greater medical and social care costs, this can negatively affect the economy too.
Environmental effects of air pollution
As well as health and economic effects, air pollution has a negative impact upon our environment and can contribute to:
- climate change
- a reduction in biodiversity and habitats
- acid rain
- a reduction of soil pH
- an increase in soil nitrogen levels
- an increase in toxic pollutants found in animals, birds, and fish at the top of the food chain.
Over 90% of sites of special scientific interest exceed the lower critical ammonia level limit. Between 2013 and 2015, 44% of sensitive habitats across the UK were estimated to be at risk of significant harm from acidity and 63% from nitrogen deposition. Some of these habitats are integral to the UK meeting its net zero target.
Monitoring air quality
Local authorities must monitor local air quality and send an annual status report (ASR) to the Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) each year. This helps local authorities to assess whether air quality is meeting UK emissions targets. The UK meets a good number of air quality targets but there is still work to be done to improve our air and consistently meet PM and NOx targets. Moving away from coal as a fuel source and stricter industry and road emissions regulations has helped immensely in meeting these targets.
In Surrey there are 28 Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) which have been identified as not meeting or unlikely to meet future air quality targets. The vast majority of AQMAs are focussed on reducing NOx emissions and PM, so a focus on reducing emissions from road traffic will continue. However, wood burning is now the second largest producer of PM, so another focus is on reducing combustion of solid fuel sources such as domestic wood burning where it is not the primary source of heating or cooking (e.g. wood burners and open fires).
DEFRA publish daily air quality measurements, which rank air pollution levels from low to very high. When levels are low or moderate, outdoor activities can continue as usual however as they become high or very high, avoiding outdoor activities and strenuous exercise can mitigate the short-term health effects of air pollution. You can also access Air Alerts which notify you of deteriorating air quality in your area.
Who works to improve air quality?
We are all responsible for improving air quality, but it requires a everyone to contribute. Government, local authority, local political and community leaders, public and private sector companies, spatial and transport planners, charities, and the public are all involved in and needed, to improve air quality.
Government
The government set a national air quality strategy and ensure local authorities are meeting guidance and targets. DEFRA and local authorities use laws, government strategies and plans, to help develop local Air Quality Strategies. These include:
- Environment Act 1995 (as amended in 2021)
- Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended in 2002)
- 25 Year Environment Plan
- National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2018
- Clean Air Strategy 2019
The government offers incentives for local authorities to improve air quality through the DEFRA Annual Air Quality Grant for local projects.
Local Authority
In Surrey, it is the responsibility of the 11 District and Borough Councils to monitor air quality, identify and declare air quality management areas (AQMA), develop air quality action plans (AQAP) and air quality strategies (AQS). To be successful in improving air quality, it requires working with neighbouring authorities, National Highways, the local Highways Authority (Surrey County Council), the Environment Agency and other nominated partners.
Local authorities are required to regularly review and assess local air quality against the objectives set by government. They are also required to publish an annual status report (ASR). The latest air quality reviews can be found on the District and Borough Councils webpages (see resources).
Surrey Air Alliance
Surrey Air Alliance is an officer working group which meets quarterly, with representatives from each of the 11 District and Borough Councils; Surrey County Council's Transport, Greener Futures, and Public Health teams; National Highways and the NHS. Surrey Air Alliance works with stakeholders to improve understanding, promote behaviour changes, and progress actions relating to air quality across Surrey.
Surrey Air Alliance provides technical insight, seeks funding, and assists in the delivery of projects such as:
- Increasing awareness
- Clean Air Day
- Clean Air Night: a project raising awareness of air pollution from wood and solid fuel burning
- Cleaner air for schools
- Eco schools
- Let's Go Zero
- Active transport and public transport use
- Living Streets Wow initiative
- Promoting school travel plans through Modeshift Stars
- Golden Boot Challenge
- Bikeability training
- Feet First walking training
- Funding for active transport infrastructure
- Improving road safety outside schools
- Anti-idling campaigns
- Air quality monitoring at schools
- Theatre in education raising awareness of health risks of air quality
- Healthcare
- Asthma Care bundles
- Asthma Friendly Schools
- Transport and planning
- Ultra-low emission vehicle and electric vehicle uptake and infrastructure in public and private sectors including taxis
- Green Schemes: season ticket parking discount schemes for low emission vehicles
- Work with local planners to improve air quality in construction
- Monitoring
- Modelling air quality in Surrey
Charities
Charities such as Global Action Plan, Clean Air Fund and Client Earth undertake work to educate about the harmful effects of air pollution as well as mobilise individuals, organisations and governments to improve air quality standards, improve adherence to and take action to meet those standards.
How can air quality be improved?
There are many steps that individuals and businesses can take to reduce their impact on air quality, following the prevent, mitigate, avoid approach.
- Prevent the production of harmful gases and particulate matter
- Mitigate (reduce) the concentration or amount of harmful matter produced
- Avoid areas with high air quality pollution to reduce human exposure
Individual actions
Prevent
- Upgrade to a zero-emission car or transport method
- Try active transport such as walking, running or cycling, more regularly. Access cycle or walk to work schemes.
- Walk children to school
- Stop smoking
- Avoid car idling
- Avoid domestic wood burning, unless it's your primary source of heating or cooking.
Mitigate
- Use public transport
- Upgrade to a lower emission vehicle
- Use solid or liquid cleaning products rather than sprayable products
- Use environmentally friendly/sustainable products where possible
- Reduce frequency of deliveries and consolidate deliveries into fewer trips e.g. Pick a green delivery slot for your grocery shop
- Where possible, use or switch to electric or induction cooking appliances, then gas over wood or solid fuel burning cooking equipment
- Where burning wood is unavoidable, use 'ready to burn' certified wood as the water content is low and it will burn more efficiently
- Maintain heating and cooking, gas and wood burning appliances to ensure they are clean and working efficiently.
Avoid
- Avoid travelling at peak times of day or along busy transport routes with slow moving vehicles
- Avoid exercising outdoors when air pollution levels are high or very high
- Open windows and doors when cooking or use mechanical ventilation such as extractor fans. Use back burners closest to ventilation
- Follow instructions on paint, varnishes, solvents and decorating products including having good ventilation
- Don't smoke indoors and reduce smoking habits
Businesses
Prevent
- Upgrade transportation systems to zero emissions vehicles
- Promote active travel and walking/cycle routes to employees and service users
- Design healthy environments considering spatial planning, urban design, road and building layouts and green spaces
- Purchase materials and products with zero or low air quality impact i.e. low formaldehyde/VOC containing building materials
- Consider air quality within building and infrastructure design and development
- Incentivise clean construction equipment through tendering processes.
Mitigate
- Use low emission construction equipment and vehicles
- Retrofit vehicles to reduce emissions
- Reduce the number of deliveries received and made, with environmentally friendly logistics especially in urban areas
- Choose products designed in line with eco-design regulations for appliances and equipment which involve fuel combustion
- Take dust and pollution abatement measures
- In farming utilise urease inhibitors, slow-release nitrogen fertilisers, slurry acidification, low protein feeding, air filtration systems. Consider design of livestock buildings to reduce emissions and strategic tree planning
- Comply with clean air zones and legislation.
Avoid
- Take measures to reduce employees' exposure to air pollution, particularly those at greater risk of health effects
- Encourage all employees to reduce their exposure to air pollution.
Current clean air projects and initiatives
Across Surrey, the current local authority air quality management areas (AQMA)and air quality strategies (AQS) are working to reduce all forms of air pollution, particularly nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). The strategies to improve air quality are integrated within the Local Transport Plan (LTP4) and include:
- Planning for place through shorter journeys
- Digital connectivity through reduced journeys
- Encouraging active travel and personal mobility through shifting local car trips to walking and cycling
- Encouraging use of public and shared transport through shifting local car trips to public and shared transport
- Improving demand management for cars through de-incentivising car trips, and encouraging a shift to other cleaner modes of transport
- Improving demand management for goods vehicles through incentivising more efficient and cleaner freight movements locally
- Increasing efficient network management through reducing congestion and idling
- Promoting zero emission vehicles through increasing the uptake of electric vehicles and hydrogen and electric buses
- Supporting behaviour change through encouraging a shift from private petrol/diesel vehicles to more sustainable modes of transport.
Clean Air Night
Surrey County Council, as part of the Surrey Air Alliance, is a founder supporter of the Clean Air Night campaign organised by the charity Global Action Plan.
The first ever Clean Air Night is on 24 January 2024 and aims to spark a local and national conversation about the harms of wood burning. When we light a fire or wood burner in our homes, small particles known as PM2.5 are released into the air. This type of air pollution can seriously harm your heart, brain and lungs, and domestic burning is now the single biggest source of PM2.5 air pollution in the UK at 27% of all small particle emissions. That's why we are joining Global Action Plan to shine a light on the uncomfortable truths about wood burning.
Wood burning not only harms your health, but it also harms your wallet and the planet. New research shows that wood burning is almost always more expensive than other forms of heating, and it produces more harmful CO2 emissions than oil or gas.
Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air at Global Action Plan said: "We all want to stay warm this winter, but the uncomfortable truth is that wood burning hurts your health, wallet and the planet. We are working with Surrey Air Alliance to shine a light on the uncomfortable truth about wood burning and help protect people in your community, by ensuring that everyone has all the facts they need to make informed choices about how to heat their homes this winter."
This Clean Air Night, learn the truth about wood burning and help protect yourself, your family and your community by sharing what you've learned. Visit the Clean Air Hub to find out more or check out #CleanAirNight.
More information and resources
General resources
- Health matters: air pollution - GOV.UK
- The air quality strategy for England - GOV.UK
- Pollution - Air Quality Hub
Air quality in your area
- DEFRA - UK Air Quality Map and forecast
- Interactive air quality map
- Air Alerts
- Air Alert Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Sevenoaks overview
Please note the Air Alert service will be replaced by the airText service in October 2024.
Surrey Local Transport Plan
District and Borough air quality
- Elmbridge Borough Council
- Epsom and Ewell Borough Council
- Guildford Borough Council
- Mole Valley District Council
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
- Runnymede Borough Council
- Spelthorne Borough Council
- Surrey Heath Borough Council
- Tandridge District Council
- Waverley Borough Council
- Woking Borough Council
Charities
Glossary
- AQAP (Air Quality Action Plan): a plan of how the AQMA deficiencies will be tackled.
- AQMA (Air Quality Management Area): an area defined by local authority which does not meet or is unlikely in the future to meet air quality standards.
- AQS (Air Quality Strategy): a plan for improving air quality in the whole or part of a district or borough. AQS can be in place in conjunction with AQMA and AQAP or can be in place on its own if current air quality targets are being met.
- DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
- CO (Carbon Monoxide)
- NH3 (Ammonia)
- NOx (Nitrogen oxides, including Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2))
- PM (Particulate Matter): air pollutants which are formed from small particles, molecules, or dust solids. Any air pollutant which is not a gas or liquid.
- SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide)
- VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)