Tag: Air quality

Air quality is worse than the World Health Organisation’s danger boundary for more than 97% of UK homes. www.addresspollution.org is a newly launched website which tells you the air quality for any address in the UK. The score is based on estimated particulate matter (PM size 2.5 or 10) – the small particles that enter your lungs and blood stream causing a multitude of health problems – and Nitrogen Dioxide – the gas made by burning fossil fuels which also contributes to poor health. Children and the elderly are most at risk, but they affect us all.

We used the tool to investigate addresses along the Bradford-Shipley route. We found most schools and residential areas have levels of air pollution  more than double the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit.

Air quality in Bradford-Shipley	Postcode	How bad in the UK: 0 (best) – 100 (worst)	PM2.5 (WHO Limit 5mcg/m3)	PM10 (WHO Limit 15mcg/m3)	NO2 (WHO Limit 10 mcg/m3)
Shipley CE Primary School	BD18 2PT	76	11.20	17.30	24.08
Wycliffe Primary	BD18 3HZ	78	10.86	17.21	26.46
Saltaire Primary	BD18 4NR	57	10.32	16.31	19.85
St Warburgas Primary	BD18 4RL	51	10.36	16.10	17.59
The Terrace Cafe Bar	BD18 4SB	84	11.05	17.91	29.10
Flat 100 Wycliffe Gardens (on Saltaire Road)	BD18 3JB	74	10.83	17.24	23.43
18 Ashdown Court, Bradford Road	BD18 3PL	97	12.39	21.56	32.53
Salt Beer Factory Saltaire	BD18 4DH	78	10.79	17.38	26.17
Coop Food Store Saltaire	BD18 4SD	76	10.75	17.22	25.48
High Craggs Primary	BD18 2ES	68	11.07	16.96	20.37
Frizinghall Primary School	BD9 4HP	67	11.07	17.08	19.70
Bradford Grammar School	BD9 4JP	64	10.99	16.86	19.12
Al Mu min School	BD8 7DA	68	11.11	17	19.99
One in a Million Free School	BD8 7DX	68	11.12	17.02	20.23
Green Lane Primary	BD8 8HT	67	11.02	16087	20.07
203 Manningham Lane	BD8 7HP	81	11.48	17.82	24.91
Consulate of Pakistan	BD1 4SJ	95	12.37	19.91	31.91

We are particularly concerned at the asthma rates in Bradford. Air pollution contributes to a third of Bradford’s childhood asthma, but it affects all ages.

The figures above are based on the measurements made by local authorities at specific monitoring points, and estimated for addresses between them by Imperial College London.

Bradford’s air quality improved markedly during the lockdown but is back up to illegal values again (40mg/m³ of NO₂). The Centre for Cities report uses DEFRA figures, showing this pattern of badly bouncing back for most cities in Britain. Bradford has the worst nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels of the 49 cities studied, both before and after COVID.

NO₂ is a major polluter from petrol-driven traffic, and gaining legal levels is the aim of the Clean Air Zone starting next year. The health professionals of Born in Bradford point out that legal levels are not safe, and that particulate matter from brakes stays in lungs and blood is another killer pollutant of traffic, whether petrol or electric-driven. BSTA would like to see the Clean Air Zone insistence on ‘clean’ engines extended to all traffic, with support for those can’t afford the upgrades.

In another recent report air pollution is shown to be associated with higher risk of catching COVID. Air quality really must be improved way better than simply the illegal limits.