Why we need to closely measure the silent killer that is pollution

Air pollution is a silent killer. Ella AdooKissi-Debrah died aged 9 in London, the medical reports suggest her death was related to air pollution. Upon reading this news I investigated the air pollution in Loughborough. I was shocked that it appears we do not have a reliable system to measure air quality.

Children are among the highest risk groups from air pollution, however the NO2 analysers installed across Charnwood are not outside schools. We do not know how much NO2 children are exposed to.

In addition, the NO2 analysers are unreliable. The council’s 2020 Air Quality Annual Status Report states: ‘We have again experienced issues with our automatic NO2 analysers this period that has meant insufficient data capture for inclusion within this report. The remaining longevity of existing equipment, some of which has been in operation since 2007, is now becoming a significant consideration when planning flexibility to cover future air quality requirements in the borough.’ ‘Significant consideration’ is not action, failing monitors need to be replaced.

We are lacking critical data about the air which people breathe. The problem has been allowed to continue, and the monitoring system will continue to deteriorate.

Air pollution will not go away. If the waste incinerator at junction 23 comes into operation, and when 3,000 homes are built in Garendon, air pollution will rise. We need reliable measures of pollution, especially around schools. Air pollution is a silent killer, but it does not have to be.

Rosie Lindsay Green party member