Cold Atlantic winds mean that, today, the air pollution in Liverpool and the surrounding area is low (rated 3, out of a possible 10, on Defra’s air pollution forecast), with the result that, should I be so inclined, I could venture out of the office to enjoy a whole host of outdoor activities without any risk to my health. Last summer, however, air quality in the city had become so poor that it posed a genuine danger, particularly to those with asthma and other respiratory conditions, prompting the city council to declare a climate emergency.
Air pollution is thought to be responsible for tens of thousands of deaths annually in the UK and, in January this year, the publication of a study by researchers from the Environment Research Group at King’s College London, commissioned by the British Lung Foundation, provided some unsettling statistics on the costs to both Liverpool’s economy and the health of its population, associated with long term exposure to the city’s high levels of airborne anthropogenic particular matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide. http://www.erg.kcl.ac.uk/Research/docs/LiverpoolCityRegion_Report.docx
As Liverpool City Council continues to finalisethe content of a Clean Air Plan to address regional air quality, Hexsor Scientific is one of a number of local companies exploring ways to help the city breathe a little easier.
