Health risks over London air quality

A Green Party member has accused the government and the Mayor of London of putting lives at risk by delaying action over the capital's air quality.

In an interview with the Ecologist, Darren Johnson claimed that the government had played down the problem, stating: "There has been a tendency in the past to see this as an abstract environmental issue rather than a devastating health issue."

Air quality in London is well below the safe limits recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In 2008, concentrations of dangerous air pollutants were found to be over three times greater than the safe levels established by WHO.

According to the publication, it is estimated that this is directly linked to between 6,000 and 7,000 deaths each year.

The WHO guidelines strongly advise a reduction in particulate matter (PM10) pollution from 70 to 20 micrograms per cubic metre.

Research by the Campaign for Clean Air in London has revealed the PM10 levels in the capital's air have increased at an average annual rate of 0.4 per cent since 1990.

The EU has threatened the British government with a £300 million fine as a result of its failings in this area, action which Mr Johnson and the Green Party have welcomed.

Posted by Claire Manning