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Air Quality in Reading. Dr Tony Cowling 2012. How are we doing?. What do you think that air quality is doing in Reading Improving, staying the same or degrading? Are the current levels above or below European standards?. Reading Data for Nox 2008 - 2012. Almost level, a tiny increase.
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Air Quality in Reading Dr Tony Cowling 2012
How are we doing? • What do you think that air quality is doing in Reading • Improving, staying the same or degrading? • Are the current levels above or below European standards?
Reading Data for Nox 2008 - 2012 Almost level, a tiny increase
Statistically Significant • The charts have been analysed by a statistician and he has stated that the results show a genuine upward trend and that this is a real effect that we are seeing. • “Houston we have a problem”
The particulates problem • Particulates pollution in Reading is increasing worryingly fast. • The winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11 were very cold and we might have expected that during the warmer winter of 2011/12 particulates pollution levels might have dropped. Or at least not increased. • They didn’t so what would have happened had there been another cold winter?
Why worry about Particulates? • It's an invisible health crisis which causes thousands of premature deaths in the UK every year. It can lead to asthma, reduce lung capacity and trigger heart attacks. And our country's failure to adequately address the issue has forced the European commission to take legal action against us. The Guardian 2011
Health Effects • Increase in bronchial complaints • Risk to those with heart conditions • Very serious longer term risks as the particulates are known to be carcinogens.