Greater Manchester is in the midst of an ‘ozone pollution episode’, a campaigning group says.
High temperatures and existing traffic pollution means the episode was forecast for the area yesterday, today and tomorrow, according to the Clean Cities Campaign.
As we prepare for extreme heat to become a more common occurrence, the group is calling for a change in the way air quality is recorded in the city-region.
Read today's edition of The Mancunian Way newsletter
Greater Manchester Combined Authority measures levels of air pollution over the year and reports on breaches of legal compliance . But the Clean Cities Campaign claims this gives a ‘a false impression’ of air quality in the city-region.
They have produced a map which demonstrates how nearly all sites monitored for air pollution in our region breach the World Health Organisation guidelines.
Just three of the 452 sites recorded as within the legal limit are compliant with World Health Organisation guidelines - Green Lane in Hollingworth, Cheadle Library and Lyme Park.
Oliver Lord, UK head of Clean Cities Campaign, says: “The GMCA presents the measurements very much to the letter of the law, so it is wholly focused on whether areas are meeting the legal limit of 40ug/m3 NO2. This means there are a considerable number of 'green' markers that indicate everything is doing well.
“However, the latest World Health Organization guideline for NO2 is 10ug/m3. Therefore, whilst parts of GM may be achieving the legal limit, this was actually based on much older health advice and things have moved on a lot.
“I think it would be much better for these maps to demonstrate that the city region is still far beyond achieving these guidelines. The WHO guidelines are certainly what we should be striving for.”
The areas that exceed legal limits are mostly in Manchester city centre around the Mancunian Way, the Oxford Road corridor and Great Ancoats Street.
Regent Road in Salford, parts of Kingsway, Manchester Road and Rochdale Road; Ardwick Green, Shaw Road and Oldham Road in Royton, part of Cheetham Hill Road, High Street in Walkden, Market Street in Hollingworth and Winwick Lane in Lowton are also in exceedance of the legal limit.
The GMCA also puts out a forecast of expected air quality , so residents can plan ahead.
Today it is forecast as ‘moderate’, meaning at-risk adults and children with lung problems and adults with heart problems should consider reducing strenuous physical activity, particularly outdoors.
Mr Lord says Mancunians should take advantage of the forecast to plan ahead. “It’s important that Mancunians are made aware that air pollution is a problem in the city and that this contributes to health inequities,” he says.
“I think it’s great the city has a free air pollution alerts system, it would be interesting to know how many people are aware of this and use it.”
A Clean Air Greater Manchester spokesperson said: “Tackling air pollution is one of the biggest environmental public health issues we face.
"Air pollution can be worse on hot days, and we would encourage people to sign up to get FREE air pollution alerts when air quality is forecasted to be ‘moderate’ or above in any area of Greater Manchester.
“We are committed to cleaning up the air our residents breathe – but in a way that helps people to make the change and does not put jobs, livelihoods and businesses at risk.
“The ten Greater Manchester districts have been directed by government to develop a Clean Air Plan in order to meet nitrogen dioxide (NO2) compliance with the UK-wide long-term annual mean legal limit value of 40 μg/m3 in the shortest possible time and by no later than 2026.
"The recently submitted draft Case for a New Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan outlines how we would meet air quality legal limits in a way which is fair to local people and businesses and does not create the risk of financial hardship.”
READ NEXT:
