Key information
Request reference number: MGLA030123-6547
Date of response:
Summary of request
The Mayor has been banging on about how he must improve London’s air quality. What I would like to know is what were the pollution levels (of all measured pollutants) from the nearest detector to the London Eye from 12:00 Noon on 31st December 2022 to 12:00 Noon on 1st January 2023 and what is considered the safe level for each pollutant
Response
Please find below the information we hold within the scope of your request Air quality monitoring is undertaken by the London boroughs as part of their statutory duties with regards to air quality. The continuous reference grade monitors provide readings hour by hour. There are no continuous air quality monitoring sites within the near vicinity of the London Eye. The closest sites are in Westminster located at Waterloo Place and Covent Garden. All the monitoring results are publicly available on the London Air Quality Network website: www.londonair.org.uk. Please see the appendix for the data from the two monitoring sites mentioned above. In regards to ‘safe levels for each pollutant’ the World Health Organisation (WHO) sets guidelines for air pollution concentrations based upon the latest health evidence. The guidelines are designed to offer guidance in reducing the health impacts of air pollution based on expert evaluation of current scientific evidence. The guidelines are not specifically deemed as a ‘safe level for pollution’ but as a level that concentrations above which are associated with important risks to public health. These guidelines were updated in 2021.
The current WHO Guidelines are as follows
For more information on the WHO Guidelines please see here:
https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/what-are-the-who-air-quality-guidelines
The current UK legal limits differ from the WHO Guidelines and are as per below:
Related documents
MGLA030123-6547 - EIR response.pdf