SEPA issues first variable penalty
A landfill site in Glasgow has been served with a civil penalty of £6,200 by SEPA for a breach of its environmental permit resulting in an offensive odour that affected local communities for eight days in June 2021 and 138 complaints.
Purifiers improve heart health, says study
A six-month study concludes that the use of portable home air purifiers can improve some markers of cardiovascular health in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
The lens of history: Reflections on the 70th anniversary of the Great Smog
The London smog of 1952 was certainly tragic in its effect, claiming over 12,000 lives. But it also marked the moment when air pollution's harms were finally acknowledged, and efforts began to legislate against it. Early December saw the 70th anniversary, and a time for reflection and stock-taking by environmental health experts, including a fascinating lecture by Dr Ian Mudway of Gresham College.
Sponsored Content: Standalone, ceiling-mounted ionizer for improved indoor air
Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions has introduced the air-e, its first stand-alone, ceiling-mounted nanoe™X generator. The air-e has a low power consumption and is ideal for a wide variety of applications where indoor air quality is a priority, including for installation in hotels, schools, care homes, hospitals, offices, restaurants, homes and more.
Sandwell clean air project backed with £50,000 government funding
A pilot project in Sandwell to reduce poor air quality through community measures has been backed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) with a...
Complaint launched after government misses legal deadline on environmental protections
On 1 November green groups submitted a letter of complaint to Defra after the Government failed to meet a legal deadline on setting new...
Population ageing and declining economic status may amplify air pollution health impacts
Population aging and economic development setbacks may outpace the health benefits of less air pollution and slowed climate change, according to a group examining...
PVC cables sector has worked to reduce toxic emissions, as sector conference explores
The most recent developments in sustainability and innovation in the PVC cables sector were discussed on 5 October at the 3rd PVC4Cables* Conference in...
Leeds City Council waives ticket costs for air quality conference
An accredited online medical conference bringing together some of the country’s top air pollution experts will now be free to attend on 4 October,...
Anthropogenic air pollution impacts health and climate in the Middle East
Desert dust was assumed to be the primary contributor to elevated air pollution across the Middle East. But now a research group seems to...
Grimy windows could be harbouring toxic pollutants
Dirty windows can harbour potentially harmful pollutants under protective films of fatty acids from cooking emissions – and these can hang around over long...
Sponsored Content: Guardian2: The solution for multi-agent site monitoring
Casella continues to demonstrate its commitment to helping its customers reduce environmental risks from large construction projects with the Guardian2. The system allows the simultaneous monitoring and reporting of noise, dust, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and vibration as well as wind speed and direction for an all-encompassing assessment of emitted levels. The Guardian2 unit can be ordered with any combination of the mentioned sensors.
Sponsored Content: Firm prioritises air quality
“At Air Spectrum Environmental, our priority is improving air quality in the industrial and workplace setting. Where possible, we believe that greening supply chains will make a huge difference to reduce or even eliminate emissions in our environment and improve occupational health and safety. This has become a focus for us as a product provider and as an organisation.”
Sponsored Content: Budget-friendly clean air technology
Anua Clean Air UK is an established leader in the fields of high performance, low-cost odour and solvent emission abatement primarily based on its patented biofiltration and bio-scrubbing technologies.
Aerosol appraisal
What is purported to be the first global map of cargo ship pollution has revealed interesting effects including the apparent impact of fuel regulations. The "ship tracks" in clouds, which the study measured, also appear to be helpful in explaining how particulate matter both interacts with clouds and affects global temperatures.
Funding for early detection
Berlin-based start-up Dryad has secured e10.5 million in new funding to help commercialise its solar-powered sensor network for early detection of wildfires.
Budget-friendly package for local authorities
With local councils in England being encouraged to apply for a share of a £7 million grant scheme with a brief to 'reduce the impact of air pollution on public health', the big question still remains: how can local authorities mitigate air pollution without carrying out hyperlocal monitoring to understand where the problem areas are and identify the pollution sources?
Maxed out on disaster yet? Group warns of volcanic risk
Well you'll be discouraged to learn that the world is “woefully unprepared” for a massive volcanic eruption and the likely repercussions for global supply chains, climate and food. That's according to experts from the University of Cambridge's Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER).
Getting warmer
As climate change leads to larger and more frequent wildfires, researchers at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using sensors, drones and machine learning to both prevent fires and minimise the damage they cause to the electrical grid. Engineers are honing technology to remotely sense electrical arcing and faulty equipment as well as the direction of spreading fires.
Pollution primer: AQE returns to Telford
AQE returns to the Telford International Centre on 12 and 13 October. Visitors are promised the customary comprehensive package of training and development presentations on the latest methods and monitoring technologies relevant to the measurement of air quality and emissions to air.
