The following article was written by Steve Neville LRSC who has carried out research into traffic pollution on behalf of Westminster City Council. It has been adapted for publication by Joy Thompson…

FEELING EXHAUSTED?
Imagine a normal day at work, you sit in your taxi and feel safe and warm, cocooned from the outside world. Perhaps you spend much of your time immobile together with several hundred other vehicles whose engines are running but going nowhere. Never mind, you have a tonne of steel, rubber, plastic and glass to protect you from the world outside.
   You may notice motorbikes, pedestrians and cyclists struggling with the same traffic you encounter. You may even have felt sorry for them from time to time breathing in the exhaust fumes, they look so vulnerable and unprotected. However, you may be feeling sorry for the wrong people. Research suggests that the enclosed environment of motor vehicles does not protect you from air pollution. In fact, pollution appears to become concentrated in vehicles and so could be affecting drivers and passengers more than anyone else.
   About eight years ago, I measured levels of carbon monoxide (CO) inside my car as I drove around eight major cities in Great Britain. The cities included in my study were London, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds and Birmingham. I found that over a period of hours as I drove in and out of polluted areas and congestion, levels of CO inside my vehicle sometimes exceeded levels set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UK Air Quality Strategy. This means concentrations of CO in my vehicle reached levels which could have adverse effects on my health.

MORE FUMES IN A VEHICLE THAN ON A BIKE
A study carried out by the Environmental Transport Association Trust (ETA) and

the Institute for European Environment Policy has recently been published. This confirms my own findings and concludes that drivers and passengers are breathing in up to three times more exhaust fumes than pedestrians and cyclists. Drivers and passengers appear to travel in the centre of a 'tunnel' of pollution created by the vehicles in front. Pedestrians and cyclists are subject to lower concentrations of pollution because they travel nearer the roadside at the edge of this 'tunnel'.
   Pollution inside vehicles tends to be higher during typical urban rush-hour conditions. Still air, older vehicles and faulty exhaust systems all make the problem worse. In general, using ventilation and air conditioning systems slightly increases the problem of in-vehicle pollution.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF INDIVIDUAL POLLUTANTS
The ETA study examined levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCS) including benzene and other hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (N02) and particulates (PM10s). A cocktail of these pollutants are thought to contribute to childhood asthma, heart disease and cancer. The Department of Health describes the health effects of the individual pollutants examined in the study as follows:

VOCS
Benzene - prolonged exposure at high levels increases the risk of leukaemia. 1,3-butadiene - studies on humans exposed to high levels of this chemical at work show increased rates of cancer including leukaemia’s.
   Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) - people exposed to PAHs at work have increased levels of cancer.

CARBON MONOXIDE (CO)
Breathing CO disrupts the supply of oxygen to tissues. People with cardiovascular or chronic respiratory problems, the elderly, pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to elevated levels of CO. Very high levels can lead to impaired vigilance, headache and dizziness, even in those who are not especially vulnerable.

NITROGEN DIOXIDE (N02)
NO2 is an irritant of the airways. Young children, those with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema or other chronic respiratory diseases may he affected by NO2 pollution.

PARTICULATES (PM10S)
Small particles breathed in are able to lodge deep in the lungs. They are associated with lung cancer and cardio-respiratory diseases.
   It is because of the suspected health effects of pollutants like those named above that WHO and UK Air Quality Strategy levels have been set. However, these levels may be being exceeded inside your taxi when air quality is particularly bad.
   I don't know about you, but I no longer feel so safe and protected in my vehicle. It appears that as drivers and passengers we are being affected more than anyone by the pollution we create. Some might see that as a fitting twist of fate. I see it as a good reason to do all we can to reduce pollution from our vehicles and improve the air quality in our towns and cities. 

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