Lockdown did not cut pollution

Exposure to air pollution could have increased during the Covid-19 lockdown in S cotland, according to research from the University of Stirling.

The research team, from Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said data showed despite a significant reduction in vehicle journeys, the level of toxic fine particles in the air was not reduced. Dr Ruaraidh Dobson, who led the study, suggested that people could be more at risk from poor air qualit y in their own homes, especially where cooking and smoking are taking place in poorly ventilated spaces.

He said: “It has been assumed that fewer cars on the road might have led to a decline in the level of air pollution outdoors and, in turn, reduce the number of cases of ill health linked to this pollution.

“However, our study – contrary to research from places such as Wuhan in China, and Milan – found no evidence of fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) declining in Scotland because of lockdown.

“This suggests that vehicles aren’t an important cause of this ver y harmful t ype of air pollution in Scotland.”