Dino Grandoni and Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post Published 6:00 pm PDT, Saturday, October 13, 2018 WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency moved this week to disband two outside panels of experts charged with advising the agency on limiting harmful emissions of soot and smog-forming pollutants. The agency informed scientists advising the EPA on the health impacts of soot that their "service on the panel has concluded," according to an email shared with The Washington Post. Experts being considered to sit on a separate board evaluating ground-level ozone also received an email from the EPA saying it will no longer form the panel, which had yet to meet. The EPA had asked for nominations in July. The decision to dissolve the panels is part of a broader effort by the EPA's leadership to change the way the agency conducts and assesses science. Those efforts include trying to limit what counts as health benefits when crafting air rules and incorporate into … [Read more...] about EPA scraps pair of air pollution science panels
Effects of air pollution
Damaging air pollution makes it essential more people cycle in London – mayor
News / UK and world by Press Association September 20, 2018, 12:31 pm FacebookTwitterLinkedInWhatsAppEmail Sign up to our Daily newsletter The “damaging effects of air pollution” mean it is “essential” that more people are encouraged to walk and cycle, London mayor Sadiq Khan has said. He called for the proportion of journeys made by private vehicles to be reduced as he took to a bike to open an extension to a cycle superhighway which has doubled in length. The north-south route, which features segregated lanes and quiet back streets, now stretches for three miles, connecting Elephant and Castle with King’s Cross via transport hubs such as Blackfriars and Farringdon stations. One of London’s most dangerous junctions – where West Smithfield, Snow Hill and Farringdon Street converge – is among the intersections on the route to be given a safety boost as part of the project. Expanding London’s cycling network is a … [Read more...] about Damaging air pollution makes it essential more people cycle in London – mayor
Air pollution is making us dumber, study shows
Air pollution could be more damaging to our health than previously thought, according to a new study, which found that prolonged exposure to dirty air has a significant impact on our cognitive abilities, especially in older men.According to the study published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, breathing polluted air causes a "steep reduction" in scores on verbal and math tests.Researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) examined data from the national China Family Panel Studies longitudinal survey, mapping the cognitive test scores of nearly 32,000 people over the age of 10 between 2010 and 2014 against their exposure to short- and long-term air pollution. The team found that both verbal and math scores "decreased with increasing cumulative air pollution exposure," with the decline in verbal scores being particularly pronounced among older, less educated men."The damage air pollution has on aging brains likely imposes … [Read more...] about Air pollution is making us dumber, study shows
Protecting yourself from air pollution
Viet Nam News ByDr. Delphine Natali* Air pollution is a growing problem in Hà Nội. According to GreenID, during the first trimester of 2018, the average level of air pollution was four times higher than the acceptable levels defined by the WHO. Find out what air pollution is, how it affects your health and how you can protect yourself. What is air pollution? Air is invisible but vital for animals and humans to breathe and plants to grow. Air is a mixture of gases and consists of mainly nitrogen (N2) with 78 per cent and oxygen (O2) with 21 per cent. Air also contains water vapor. Sources of air pollution can be natural (for example, volcanic activity) or due to human activity (such as industry, road traffic, agriculture and residential emission.). There are numerous air pollutants. The most dangerous are sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxyde (CO) and ozone (O3). The smaller the PM are, the deeper they can … [Read more...] about Protecting yourself from air pollution
Where in London has the worst smog, what is toxic air pollution and how has the heatwave affected health levels?
TOXIC air pollution can cause serious health problems including stunted lung growth and cancer, experts say. But what causes the toxic air and what is are the measures being called for to tackle it? Where in London has the worst smog? Central London tends to have the worst smog as it is the most heavily built-up area. Pollution can build up in London when it becomes trapped between buildings, especially during still weather. Enclosed streets with large amounts of diesel traffic tend to be the worst-hit. The City of London is the worst-hit area, with 8.3 per cent of deaths caused by manmade pollution in 2013 and 14. Surrounding boroughs Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Southwark all came in around the 7 per cent mark. Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea also neared 8 per cent each. Boroughs furthest from the city centre are the least at risk of smog. What is toxic air pollution and how is it caused? Hazardous pollutants from industrial facilities … [Read more...] about Where in London has the worst smog, what is toxic air pollution and how has the heatwave affected health levels?