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LONDON – New research has revealed that the pollution of London's underground rail network is such that one hour's journey is equivalent to a full day of traffic.
According to the study, commissioned by Transport for London (TfL), the air can be up to 50 times dirtier than in the street, with particularly severe pollution on the city's far-flung lines.
"The particulate mbad concentrations on the platforms of the London Underground lines are generally much higher than in the ambient air," the report says, referring to the concentration of tiny toxic particles in the air. air.
According to a 2015 study by researchers at King's College London, nearly 9,500 Londoners die prematurely each year from long-term exposure to air pollution.
<! – The London Underground is the oldest in the world and some of its 11 lines and 270 stations date back to 1863 – a likely cause of heavy pollution because "deep and poorly ventilated tunnels" are part of the system, the report said.
The air sucked into the network of tunnels is contaminated by the wear and tear of railway components, such as train wheels and brake pads, he added.
At the deepest station in Hampstead, the PM 2.5 concentration – the smallest particles that cause the most damage because they enter the bloodstream – averaged 492 over a 10-day period in 2018.
This compares to an average of only three in rural Scotland and 16 on a busy London road. The guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) advise that levels do not exceed a daily average of 25.
Globally, air pollution kills an estimated 7 million people each year, according to the WHO. Long term exposure can affect respiratory and inflammatory human systems and lead to heart disease and cancer.
The report, released Wednesday, indicated that there was not enough information to badess the effects of exposure to underground pollution on commuters but that health risks do not exist. could not be excluded.
"Since there is strong evidence that both short and long term exposure to polluting particles in the ambient air is harmful to health, it is likely exposure to underground particles poses a health risk, "he said.
However, the authors stated that they did not think travel was a serious risk.
Peter McNaught, director of TfL 's badet operations, said the company was determined to maintain the purest possible air quality.
"We are closely monitoring the dust levels on the tube and, thanks to a wide range of measurements, we are making sure that the particle levels are in line with the Health & Safety Executive's guidelines," he said in a statement. communicated.
"We have already improved our sampling regime by including additional metal testing and will continue to look for ways to minimize dust and particles."
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