What’s London’s Pollution Really Doing To Us?

Reports released in January had everyone wondering whether the wearing surgical masks in public was really such a bad idea. London officially had worse air pollution than Beijing, the city renowned for smog. Except, of course, it didn’t.

Perverting the Pollution Facts

The science of measuring pollution isn’t exactly a page-turner. Simply put, they measure the levels of different particles in random selections – one of which was higher in London than Beijing. Across the board, however, Beijing remains five times more polluted than London at its worst.

There’s also debate about the reliability of Beijing readings. The Chinese government isn’t exactly famed for truth-telling. Beijing residents have been assured smog levels are safe whilst not being able to see three feet in front of them.

Don’t let this reassure you too much though. London has still experienced dangerously high pollution levels this year, rating 10 on our 1-10 scale. Being second to Beijing isn’t something to write home about. We do need to update our benchmark though, as the Iranian city of Zabol (pictured) and Nigeria’s Onitsha are now considered the world’s most polluted cities.

Pollution in Practice

What does this level of pollution actually mean for Londoners? How badly will it affect those that live here?

We’ve all had that experience of blowing our nose (or picking, if thats how you live your life) after being on the tube and the tissue coming out grey-black. It shows your nose doing its job, but also shows just how many particles you’re breathing in.

The infamous belief is that 20 minutes on the Northern Line is the equivalent of smoking a single cigarette. It’s both true and misleading – it’s equal in the number of pollutant particles breathed in. It glosses over the tar deposits and addiction of cigarettes. Just so we’re clear, smoking is still worse for your health.

The History That Haunt Us

However, pollution will take its toll. Scientists estimate that the the 1952 Great Smog in London killed 12000. Let that just sink in for a minute. The smog was so bad people couldn’t see to the end of corridors indoors. The reason it killed so many is the pollutant mix and weather conditions created acid in the air. Breathing in acid is obviously bad.

Could these conditions reoccur? Unlikely. The weather conditions that allowed the smog to settle are similar to the ones we had in January, hence the high pollutant count. However, the emissions we make today are both different and regulated. The extraordinary circumstances thankfully won’t repeat, but we aren’t off the hook.

Our Reality

Research from 2010 data stated the number of premature deaths from pollution in London was 9500. It’s an extraordinarily worrying statistic.

Many pollutants in the air are carcinogenic (linked to cancer) and can irrevocably damage our lungs and heart. Generally young people aren’t likely to have long-term severe effects. Good for them. For the rest, it’s a very real concern. Asthma, lung cancer, respiratory and heart diseases and strokes are all pollution symptoms.

The Mayor of London – who suffers from adult-onset asthma – has made pollution top priority. He’s noticeably tackling vehicles, which are the worst offenders by far. Khan’s changes are inevitably making car owners and cabbies feel victimised, as they’re given few alternatives. Electric and hybrid cars are still extremely expensive and difficult to fuel. The multi-million pound market needs to shoulder the change, not us. For now though, a T-charge remains more convenient than lung cancer.

However, vehicles certainly aren’t the only culprit. Nitrogen dioxide is the popularly referred to pollutant at the moment, but road transport is responsible for 50% of its emissions. We need to tackle all culprits, but with cars an easy target, the sources of the other 50% will remain in the wind.

 

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