Bad air quality is noticeable, even if you don’t currently suffer from any ill effects. Whilst you can control the air quality in your home with an air purifier, to a degree, the environment outside can be a concern especially in the UK.
In this blog, we dive into the burning question: Why is UK air quality so bad?
Poor UK air quality: the contributing factors
A variety of pollutants are why UK air quality is so bad:
Road traffic
Road traffic is a key pollutant in the UK, and one of the main reasons why UK air quality is so bad, especially within cities. Nitrogen oxides and particulate matter like PM10/PM2.5 are the biggest contributors of pollutants in the atmosphere, which can cause lung issues.
Wood & coal fires
Traditional wood and coal fireplaces are once again becoming common in the UK as they can be a cost-effective way to heat a single room in your home, like your living room, when compared to central heating. It is also caused by people having fires and BBQs in their gardens during summer. Burning wood and coal contribute to bad UK air quality as it’s a growing source of PM2.5 and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).
Factories
Factories are a large cause of carbon emissions, particularly Sulphur Dioxide, although this is decreasing as time goes on and more government regulations come into place. If you live near factories, some of this SO2 will make it into your home, affecting indoor air quality.
Farms
Farms are one of the largest causes of why air quality in the UK is so bad, because of a couple of different factors. Firstly, livestock waste and fertilisers emit a vast amount of ammonia, and secondly, the fact that farm transport is large and uses a lot of fuel, namely diesel.
Weather conditions
Whilst it is out of our control, the UK’s weather can contribute to poor air quality, namely days with low wind speeds can help pollutants build up closer to land which affects us all. And, with the weather getting warmer due to climate change, it can lead to photochemical smog building up.
How bad UK air quality can affect your health
Bad air quality presents a big risk to the health of UK residents. Exposure to poor air quality can lead to:
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Respiratory illnesses
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Heart issues
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Adverse effects on the vulnerable (children and the elderly)
What is being done about bad air quality in the UK?
The UK government is taking steps to reduce the amount of harmful pollutants in the air.
In recent years, they have announced several initiatives and targets to make air quality in the UK better, which will make the UK healthier and therefore alleviate pressure on the NHS.
A few key examples are:
2019 Clean Air Strategy
This is the main strategy set out by the UK government in 2019 to address all kinds of airborne pollutants in the UK. The clean air strategy includes actions that businesses must take to reduce pollution, with the aim of improving UK air quality.
Low Emissions Zones
Some major cities including London, Edinburgh, Portsmouth and Glasgow are implementing - or have already - Low Emissions Zones, which charge vehicles with the highest levels of carbon emissions a fee to enter certain areas.
Banning home coal & wood fires
The government aims to ban the sales of wood and coal for fireplaces and wood burners for domestic use.
Promoting public transport
The UK government wants to make public transport better and more accessible for UK residents, so we don’t need to rely on cars to get to work so much. This has been evidenced in the UK-wide bus fare caps which dictate how much you can be charged for a single journey.
What can I do to protect my health?
Whilst on an individual basis, it’s hard to make a huge difference to the wider goal of improving UK air quality, as it mostly lies in the hands of businesses being responsible.
There are things we can do, however, to stop contributing so many pollutants to the environment, including only driving when we absolutely have to, and not burning wood and coal at home.
You can also combat these pollutants and make your home healthier by using an air purifier, like our HEPA+ Pro Portable Mould Remediation System which can eliminate 99.9% of airborne and surface mould spores, a key contributor to poor air quality in your home.
