School air quality data shows substantial pollution

Schools at the forefront of the fight to improve air quality, as children are disproportionately affected by harmful emissions.

So we welcome the news that Islington Council has become the first UK council to publish air quality data from every primary and secondary school.

The latest data, from 2018, shows three schools with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels over the legal limit of 40µg/m3 as specified by EU Air Quality Standards.

Yet no school had a level below 25µg/m3.

According to the symptoms of bronchitis in asthmatic children increase in association with long-term exposure to NO2.

According to the World Health Organisation, symptoms of bronchitis in asthmatic children increase in association with long-term exposure to NO2.

The monitoring by Islington Council accompanies its commitment to the School Streets initiative, which aims to reduce traffic at schools at drop-off and pick-up times to improve air quality and boost safety.

We wholeheartedly support programmes such as these, and will be working to educate local authorities in how to further improve air quality by switching to emission-free outdoor power equipment used in the care and maintenance of school grounds.