Air pollution levels on two roads in Northampton have breached the legal limit set by the European Union, according to scientific data released by the town’s Green Party this week.
Air quality sensors set up by the political party show that between April 24 to May 21 of this year, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels on Spencer Bridge Road hit an average of 41.51 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3).
And on St James Road, the number soared to a staggering 46.38 ug/m3 – well above the legal limit of 40 ug/m3 set by the EU. Meanwhile Weedon Road hit 33.97 ug/m3 and St James Square reached 36.88 ug/m3.
These numbers have been put together on an interactive map by the Green Party, as part of its public information campaign to measure levels of air pollution across Northampton.
It comes just a week after ozone levels in Kinsthorpe hit 172 micrograms per cubic metre between 2-3pm last Tuesday – when a heatwave saw temperatures soar to over 30C – making it the highest level in the UK in that hour and just short of the ‘dangerous’ hourly threshold of 180 set by the EU.
Nitrogen dioxide is defined as part of a group of gaseous air pollutants produced as a result of road traffic and other fossil fuel combustion processes. Its presence in the air, combined with sunlight, contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone.
When ozone is breathed in, it can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and airway inflammation. In the long term, it can cause lung damage and asthma.
A spokesperson for the Northampton Green Party said: “Northampton has an air pollution problem. There are six areas across the town where levels of Nitrogen Dioxide are above legal limits, and as reported last week, monitors in Kingsthorpe have also been highlighting serious issues with Ozone levels.
“Although the Borough Council measures the levels of Nitrogen Dioxide within these six areas, information about the levels of pollution are difficult to access and often out of date.This needs to change.
“High levels of pollution affect the public health of everybody living in those areas. More people in these areas are dying early because of respiratory illness, more people in these areas are suffering from respiratory related conditions.
“Better information should be made available to people in Northampton, so that we can understand the risks that are affecting our health.”
Steve Miller, Secretary of Northants Green Party, said: “Air pollution is an invisible killer. It is affecting the health of children across the town, and I think we all need to be better informed about the problem so that we can start to deal with it properly.”
Tony Clarke, a former Labour MP in Northampton and now a spokesperson for the Green Party, echoed Mr Miller’s comments: “Air pollution issues won’t fix themselves. We need a council that is serious about dealing with the problem, rather than adding to them with a raft of car-friendly policies.”
Source: NorthAmpton News
