London Schoolgirls Gather Alarming Air Pollution Data

An all girl’s school in Elephant and Castle in London has unearthed some alarming data about air quality levels in the area during a two-week investigation undertaken in autumn of last year. A Year 8 class from Notre Dame RC Girls’ School gathered information about air pollution in the immediate vicinity of the school and found criminally high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

The project was part of a wider incentive named Cleaner Air 4 Southwark Secondary Schools, aimed at improving air quality and reducing transport-related pollution, especially with regards to areas surrounding centres of learning.

Dangerous Fumes for Little Lungs

The investigation follows hot on the heels of a similar programme conducted by Bristolian schoolchildren last April, which was supported by the BBC. Though this project did not receive as much media coverage, it did uncover some disturbing data about NO2 levels around the school.

The girls took readings from 16 different locations in the vicinity of their school over a two-week period. 15 of the 16 places tested showed levels of NO2 that would surpass legal limits, if extrapolated over the whole year. As such, the study provided further reinforcement that Elephant and Castle – and indeed London as a whole – is compromised by illegally high levels of air pollution.

This is especially concerning when viewed in the context of children, whose young lungs are more vulnerable to developing complications as a result to their exposure to the contaminants. Recently, the boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham came under fire for having 40 schools situated near to roads where more than 10,000 vehicles pass by on a daily basis.

Affirmative Action Needed

The MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, Neil Coyle, visited the girls’ school in the wake of the results to discuss them with the pupils.

“It was amazing that the young people asked such enthusiastic and important questions on how air quality can be improved,” enthused Coyle. “The girls have worked so hard to understand how that can make the difference that I am keen to stay in touch and make sure that new planning decisions take the need to improve air quality in the area.”

Coyle also expressed doubt that enough measures were being taken to combat air pollution in his constituencies and in the capital in general. “I don't think it's quite there yet, I don't think it is being taken as seriously as it should,” he said.

London mayor Boris Johnson has implemented Low Emissions Zones (LEZs) and has proposed plans for Ultra Low Emissions Zones (ULEZs), though early studies indicate they have made precisely zero impact on the air quality in the affected areas. This is thought to be down to the polluting diesel engines which were formerly thought to be environmentally-friendly, due to the manipulative methods employed by Volkswagen and which were encouraged through subsidies offered on such models by the government.

Now that it is known that diesel engines are in fact far more pollutant than previously imagined, the UK capital faces something of a quandary in that they now have a surplus of the dirty vehicles and an abundance of harmful emissions, partially due to their own encouragement.