The UK has an air quality problem. Air pollution kills between 28,000 and 36,000 people a year.

Liverpool has very high air pollution across the entire city. The whole of the city is designated as an “Air Quality Management Area”.

It has many impacts on health, stunting the growth of our children’s lungs, increasing rates of strokes, heart attacks, cancer, bronchitis and diabetes. Studies show a link with increased rates of mental illness and dementia. There are three categories of air pollution that are monitored and known to impact on health, Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), PM 2.5 and PM 10. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated safe limits for all three. Most postcodes in Liverpool have twice the WHO designated safe levels of Nitrogen dioxide!

Road transport (cars, vans, lorries and buses) are a significant contributor to all of these pollutants, through exhaust emissions from burning fuel or from brake, tyre and road wear. The fuel we burn to heat our homes and industrial processes also contribute to PM 10 and 2.5 pollution.

Clean Air Liverpool are trying to do something about this dangerous health problem. They are a non-political citizen campaign and part of the Liverpool Climate Justice Coalition. They analysed the air quality outside 150 schools in Liverpool and found all three types of air pollution were above WHO limits.

Local elections are coming up. Ask your candidates what they are going to do about it. We need to get our toxic air on the agenda.