(
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/28/dirty-air-affects-97-of-uk-homes-data-shows)
“We seek to create the
greenest solutions to improve air quality in
various industrial settings.”
Clean air: what happens outside matters inside
Rebecca Munson, Managing Director of Air Spectrum Environmental, shares her thoughts on why raising air quality on the cleaning and hygiene agenda and decarbonising supply chains benefits us all.
At the Clean Air Summit in February 2022, Professor Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, was noted to have said that air pollution is everybody’s responsibility, but a solvable issue. He also mentioned that in the UK, we have been remiss in addressing its negative
effects. Poor air quality is being recognised for the serious health problems it can cause for heart and lung health, and being a catalyst for
cancer development in the body. It has even
been declared legally as a contributing cause of death of an individual for the first time in UK history.
It has been recently revealed that air pollution affects 97% of homes in the UK. Furthermore, the contamination at affected addresses is measured well above levels set by the WHO (World Health Organization) for at least one of the top three most dangerous airborne pollutants. In its 2019 review on air pollution, the WHO found that seven million people worldwide die because of it, and 40,000 of those are in the UK. Furthermore, the WHO declared air pollution to be the greatest environmental threat to human health and it’s a global public health emergency.
There is no denying the connection between air pollution and climate change. The way forward for the UK will mean a commitment to mitigating negative climate impact to successfully achieve Net Zero by 2050. A big
36 | SPECIALIST CLEANING
part will be driven by decarbonising supply chains in all our major industries.
The continuing development of our global built environments will always be a source of carbon emissions, unless we make a fundamental change. We must continue to develop and embrace greener solutions to promote better air quality. This should be supported by awareness and monitoring of our air quality in the spaces where it matters most: where people are.
All air quality is connected
Outside airborne pollutants find their way to us in our internal environments as long as there is a means of entry. Opening the window won’t guarantee an intake of fresh air. Badly maintained ventilation systems are breaches, as are poorly sealed buildings located in high pollution areas. Being aware of these risks means that we must prioritise creating cleaner air – outside, as well as inside.
In our ever-growing built environment, the by-products of building and engineering include the creation of vast amounts of dust in our towns and cities. Those that pose the most risk to health, especially of workers in close proximity, include silica, wood dust, general dusts comprising of gypsum, plasterboard, or limestone and marble, for example.
According to the Health & Safety Executive, over 500 workers die from construction dust exposure each year. Thousands more report respiratory ailments after exposure. As this dust is being generated, it also affects buildings and their
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