British MP highlights issues with air quality on the parliamentary estate

A recent article by Parliamentarian Barry Sheerman MP discussed the issue of air pollution on the parliamentary estate in the UK. It notes that despite progress made in reducing air pollution through legislation, it remains a significant public health challenge.

In order to raise awareness about the issue, a Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality and Mr Sheerman MP set out to measure air quality on the parliamentary estate using two air quality monitors. The results showed that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels were on average four times above World Health Organisation guidelines, and particulate matter (PM2.5) levels were generally in line with guidelines but with significant spikes.

While this was not a scientific study, the research was at least a step in the right direction in attempting to gain some understanding of the problem in a very specific location.

Our thoughts are that for a more detailed analysis of the issue, the study should be expanded to cover a longer period of time in order to better understand the fluctuations in air quality levels on the parliamentary estate. This could be done by increasing the number of air quality monitors and placing them in different locations on the estate to get a more comprehensive picture of the air quality. Additionally, the study could be expanded to include other pollutants and gases that can impact air quality, such as carbon monoxide and ozone. This would provide a more complete understanding of the air quality in any specific location and would allow for more effective interventions to be put in place.