Children And Air Pollution
CHATR researches the effects of air and noise pollution from expansion here
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‘We know enough to be concerned about how London’s air pollution impacts on the health of children,’ says Dr Ian Mudway, a respiratory toxicologist from Kings College London.
He highlights research by James Gauderman published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2015 that demonstrates that children exposed to pollution (nitrogen dioxide and small airborne particles) in California in the 1990s had significantly reduced lung growth.
California has subsequently pursued aggressive pollution reducing policies and as air pollutant concentrations have fallen the number of children with reduced lung capacity has fallen.
‘This critical study demonstrates the close link between exposure to pollution and childrens’ lung growth’ says Dr Mudway. ‘This study is very important, not only because it shows the link between reduced lung growth and pollution, but because it shows that effective action can prevent harm to children’s lungs, impacts that may well tract through to their adult life’.
The current levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution in London, he points out, ‘predominately from diesel vehicles, exceed the levels reported in California in the 1990’s. London therefore has much to be gained from addressing these emissions’. What are the ramifications of this for expanding Heathrow if the 3rd runway is built? Dr Mudway has serious concerns: ‘anything that promotes more vehicles into the area can only further degrade air quality and the impacts of this on health are far from neutral,’ he warns.
‘Whilst environmental impact assessments will have been performed for the Heathrow expansion, the critical question is whether they have accurately modelled the emissions from diesel vehicles, especially in light of what is now common knowledge following the VW scandal. We know the published emission values are wrong, and this is acknowledged by DEFRA, (Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) in their recent consultation document on reducing nitrogen dioxide in the UK. It would therefore seem wrong’, he says, ‘if previous environmental impact assessments were based on different criteria from those in the current DEFRA consultation. Maybe there should be a moratorium on previous assessments of air quality impacts for large infra-structure projects until this issue has been resolved.’
CHATR has continued its research into the effects of a third runway.
Recently West London Councils gave a damning verdict on the Davies Commission and highlighted mounting fears about pollution. The Council’s report argues that while economic benefits are grossly inflated ‘there is a distinct lack of information about air quality and flightpaths’. NO 2 levels around Heathrow are already illegal and in breach of EU regulations. Measurements of NO 2 at sites along the A4 and M4 have recorded peak levels of up to 200 micrograms per cubic meter of air, well in excess of the 40 microgram objective. Diesel fumes, heavy metals, particulates, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide from increased traffic combined with pollutants from aircraft fuel ‘can only result in an increase in the 10,000 deaths a year in London from pollution that already occur’, said a spokesperson for CHATR, Chiswick Against Third Runway. ‘It is hard to conceive of a more efficient system for spreading dangerous pollutants across a dense population than to expand an airport - with all its supporting infrastructure and traffic - right in the middle of the West London suburbs.’
Children and Noise
A growing body of scientific evidence shows that, quite apart from the effect of air pollution on health, the noise of aircraft also affects children’s mental ability or cognition. The Ranch studies (Road Traffic and Aircraft Noise and Children’s Cognition and Health) tested almost 3000 primary school age children living near Heathrow, Amsterdam and Madrid airports and found negative effects on children’s learning, including their reading, comprehension and recognition memory. A follow up study of 460 of these children showed cognitive detriments continued into teenage years. Scientists believe that the annoyance or irritation of the aircraft noise produces physiological responses such as raised blood sugars, blood fats and changes to hormones. In older people this in turn leads to measurable health detriments including hypertension, cardiovascular disease and stroke.Play is also important for children’s development and one school close to Heathrow, Hounslow Heath Infants School, has taken the novel step of building special domes or igloos in the playground to reduce the noise of the planes. At 180 meters (600’) the planes are so loud that play or conversation is disrupted for 25 seconds roughly every 90 seconds. Already 40 schools in West London are under flightpaths and that number will increase if Heathrow expands. The precise number of schools affected by the plans is not yet clear because of the absence of detailed information about the proposed new flightpaths from Heathrow.
November 4, 2015
