Young pupils face illegal air pollution

SURVEY: Young children across Yorkshire are being exposed to illegal levels of damaging air pollution from diesel vehicles at schools and nurseries.

Research by Greenpeace shows 33 nurseries in the region are near roads where nitrogen dioxide from diesel traffic exceeds the legal limit of 40 micrograms per cubic metre.

YOUNG CHILDREN across Yorkshire are being exposed to illegal levels of damaging air pollution from diesel vehicles at schools and nurseries, a new investigation has revealed.

The research by Greenpeace shows 33 nurseries in the region are close to roads where the level of nitrogen dioxide from diesel traffic exceeds the legal limit of 40µg/m3, (micrograms per cubic metre of air).

While the majority of nurseries close to polluted roads are in London, an analysis of the most recent Government data shows the problem stretches far beyond the capital to towns and cities all over England.

Leeds has been named as one of the top 10 local authority areas most affected, alongside Birmingham, Sandwell, Nottingham, Plymouth, Manchester, Leicester, Hampshire, Wolverhampton and Salford.

The city has seven nurseries within 150 metres of a road emitting illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide, with with Amazing Grace Early Years Childcare, Saxton Lane, Leeds, in the highest pollution pocket of 53.01µg/m3.

The Meadows Community Preschool, based at Catcliffe Primary School, in Rotherham, is exposed to 58.53µg/m3 – the highest in Yorkshire – as a result of its close proximity to the Sheffield Parkway, a major dual carriageway which runs between Sheffield and the M1.

The findings come just days before the Government is expected to publish a revised plan to tackle air pollution after the previous one was deemed inadequate by the High Court.

Haneen Khreis, a doctoral researcher at the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds, has been doing research into early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution and risk of developing childhood asthma.

She said while 40µg/m3 was the legal limit in Europe, there was no safe level of exposure to diesel fumes. She told The Yorkshire Post: “We know that air pollution models are very optimistic and traffic-related air pollution is generally being underestimated. The numbers of nurseries and children exposed is therefore likely to be much higher in reality.

“Infants and children are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of air pollution as their detoxification, immune and respiratory systems are all immature.

“Schools and nurseries should really be offset from roads and universal reductions in air pollution, exhaust and non-exhaust is needed, quite urgently.

“The Government has a big responsibility in making this happen.”