Latest News Roundup

November

THANK YOU if you have already signed the petition organised by Andrea Carey Fuller & Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah to take Ella's Law (Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill) through the House of Commons.

We have until 14th December and still need signatures.

In November we were proud to announce that we have been shortlisted in the CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2024 in the 'Product or Innovation of the Year - Air Quality' category!

Two of our air purifiers have also just been included in NEA’s List of Portable Air Cleaners Against COVID-19 Virus Aerosols, which is great news!

Throughout the month there has been a focus on the dangerous air quality in India, in particular New Delhi, implementing driving restrictions and talks of cloud-seeding (artificial rain) to help solve the problem. We also learned that air pollution is causing Indian people to become diabetic.

There were a few more news items about pregnancy with a study in Norway sharing findings on birth weight and length, while later in the month a peer-reviewed Rutgers University study investigated male fertility.

We were shocked by the headline that a study in Denmark has found that air pollution could be damaging your DNA.

It's not good news for African air quality and unsurprisingly, a new report by the European Environment Agency has highlighted that air pollution is still a top environmental health risk in Europe too.

We shared a link for schools to sign up to air quality monitoring through the SAMHE scheme. See below.

We supported World Ventil8 Day, COPD Day, World Sustainable Transport Day.

Key takeaway points this month:

• Air pollution in India continues to seriously harm the health of residents
• Air pollution causing diabetes in India, exposure for one year or more - MJ study confirming prolonged exposure of 2.5 particles for one year or more led to increased risk of diabetes.' - at same time New Delhi closes primary schools due to dangerous levels of air pollution
• Prenatal exposure to NO in the last trimester of pregnancy is associated with significant reductions in birth weight and birth length
• Prenatal exposure to air pollution may hurt reproductive health in adult men. Ingestion of particulate matter may shorten distance between anus and genitals in the womb, a sign of lower testosterone activity.
• Particulate matter concentration levels in Africa are now five to ten levels greater than that recommended by the World Health Organisation. We need global collaboration to tackle Africa’s dangerous air pollution levels.
• 253,000 deaths could have been avoided in the EU if the fine particulate matter concentrations had met WHO recommendations
• Schools can sign up to air quality monitoring to understand how to improve the air our children breathe in school

Read the full articles:

New Delhi air pollution:

https://news.sky.com/story/new-delhi-driving-restrictions-to-come-into-force-as-air-pollution-levels-remain-severe-13001840

Diabetes in India

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/air-pollution-increases-risk-of-type-2-diabetes-report/articleshow/104925217.cms

Ambient air pollution on birth outcomes:

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-16957-1

Male reproductive health:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/nov/25/air-pollution-impacting-pregnancy-mens-reproductive-health

Air pollution could be damaging your DNA:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/indoor-air-pollution

Air pollution in Africa:

https://www.c40.org/

EU air quality:

https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/health-impacts-from-air-pollution

Schools Air Quality Monitoring (SAMHE):

https://samhe.org.uk/