Not on Putney High Street - NO2 levels have been higher than EU maximum 75 times this year!

A recent review of air monitoring stations around London have shown that the Nitrous Oxide (NO2) levels in the capital have broken the EU rules that state that NO2 monitoring stations, which report levels every hour, cannot exceed 200mg per cube metre more than 18 times in a calendar year. Putney High Street has exceeded the limit 70 times already this year - second only to Brixton Rd in Lambeth which has exceeded levels 140 times!

The continuous monitoring site on Putney High Street was installed by Wandsworth Council in July '09 in response to a sampling study using passive diffusion tubes which highlighted elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide along the high street.

According to the London Air Quality Network based at Kings College London:
'Putney High Street is a heavily trafficked street with three and four storey buildings on both sides which forms what is commonly known as an 'urban canyon'. This means pollution does not disperse readily due to the high buildings on either side of the street. Putney High Street is also a very busy shopping area and the continuous monitoring site will provide more accurate exposure assessment on this busy street.'

Simon Birkett, Founder of the Campaign for Clean Air in London, told PutneySW15.com:
"London has the highest average levels of nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas, of any capital city in western (or eastern) Europe. It is sadly no surprise therefore to see Putney and other London sites breaching within a few weeks the legal standard for a whole year that entered into force on 1 January 2010."

"These laws entered into force in 1998 to protect public health. It is disgraceful that so little has been done since then to achieve compliance. "We need the Mayor and the government to understand that a package of bold measures is needed urgently to tackle a problem that may have triggered, on average 10 years early, up to one in eight deaths across London in 2005."

In March '09 Malcolm Grimston the Executive member for the environment said:
"Putney High Street suffers from heavy traffic and it's important we understand the full impact on air quality. The new equipment will provide a much clearer picture of people's daily exposure. The council's air quality action plan includes a range of measures aimed at reducing pollution and increasing people's awareness of polluting behaviour."

"The plan embraces free vehicle emissions testing, introducing electric car charging points, training dry cleaners to reduce their emissions, environmental theatre productions in primary schools and a campaign to encourage parents to switch off their engines when picking up children from school. We have also introduced the airTEXT messaging service which warns residents when high pollution levels are forecast."

A council spokesman said: “We installed this  monitoring equipment  to develop a better picture of how heavy traffic is affecting air quality in Putney. The evidence we gather  will help us to lobby the Government and Mayor to take the tough measures necessary to combat the number of heavily polluting vehicles on London's roads.

“Through our Air Quality Action Plan we have launched a range of local initiatives aimed at cutting emissions and increasing people's awareness of polluting behaviour. This includes free vehicle emissions testing, promoting car-clubs, installing electric car charging points, regulating industrial processes to cut pollutants, environmental theatre productions in primary schools and a campaign to encourage parents to switch off their engines when picking up children from school.

“We have also introduced the airTEXT messaging service which warns residents when high pollution levels are forecast.”