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Toxic air in Croydon is in breach of World Health standards

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Deadly cloud: a grey smear of pollution hangs over Croydon most days

Levels of toxic nitrogen dioxide in Croydon and 13 other London boroughs have been found to break the UK legal limit and to be in excess of the recommended limit set by WHO, the World Health Organization.

One of the test sites, in Brent, registered levels of NO2 at three times the legal limit.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said the data was “shocking proof” that air quality was a problem “in every single part of the capital”.

The study included results of testing carried out at 1,823 locations across 31 London boroughs throughout 2021.

The only boroughs not to take part in the NO2 study were Harrow and Bexley.

Bexley is one of five Tory-run councils in and around London which are taking legal action in an effort to prevent the expansion of ULEZ, the Ultra Low Emission Zone. Bexley said the cost of testing would be of “very limited use and a poor use of the public purse”. Bexley says it will undertake the tests in… 2024.

Croydon’s Tory Mayor, Jason Perry, has said that he opposes the ULEZ expansion, too, but he declined to commit our cash-strapped council’s cash to the legal challenge.

The London-wide results showed:

According to City Hall, the results show similar average pollution concentration in inner and outer London, supporting the case to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

The scheme, which charges drivers of the most polluting cars £12.50 a day to enter, is to be extended from August from its current South Circular-North Circular limit to cover most of Greater London.

According to Transport for London data, road transport accounts for 44per cent of nitrogen oxide emissions, 31per cent of PM2.5 (particulate matter) emissions and 28per cent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in London.

TfL says: “The proposed London-wide ULEZ is expected to reduce road transport NOx emissions by 5.4per cent in London. There is expected to be a 1.5per cent reduction in PM2.5 emissions from road transport in London.”

Data from City Hall, reviewed by Imperial College London, shows: “Road transport NOx emissions for all vehicles are expected to reduce by 5.5% (214 tonnes) in the non-Greater London area in 2023 compared to a scenario where there was no ULEZ expansion London-wide.”

WHO maintains that there is no “safe” level of air pollution.

Imperial College research – commissioned by City Hall – says: “In 2019, in Greater London, the equivalent of between 3,600 to 4,100 deaths were estimated to be attributable to human-made PM2.5 and NO2, considering that health effects exist even at very low levels.

“This calculation is for deaths from all causes including respiratory, lung cancer and cardiovascular deaths.”

Responding to the latest findings of NO2 levels across the capital, Mayor Khan said, “This data is yet more shocking proof that London’s air quality has been in serious breach of the recognised global standard – and it’s a problem in every single part of the capital.

“This is why I made the difficult decision to expand the ULEZ London-wide – to help save lives and to give all Londoners the right to breathe cleaner air.”


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