Air quality in Brighton

What is the air quality index of Brighton?

Brighton is part of the city of Brighton and Hove, a former town situated on the southern coast of England, in the county of East Sussex. It is best known as a seaside resort and is positioned 76 kilometres south of London. In mid- 2019, the population was estimated as 290,885 people.

At the beginning of 2021, Brighton was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI number of just 24. This is in accordance with figures suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The main pollutant in these such cities is usually the Particulate matter PM2.5, but for Brighton, the main pollutant was ozone (O₃) with a reading of 58.3 µg/m³. The other significant substance was nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) with a recorded level of 9.4 µg/m³.

With low levels such as these, doors and windows can be opened to allow the ingress of fresh air into the rooms and all types of outdoor activity can be enjoyed without fear.

What is the main source of air pollution in Brighton?

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is produced by the combustion of fossil fuels. In city centres, this usually means that the main source is emissions from vehicles. In February 2019, following a period of research by the Friends of the Earth, a street in Brighton was found to be one of the most polluted areas in all of the UK. It was the 7^th out of 2000 locations that were tested!

Friends of the Earth said high levels of nitrogen dioxide can cause an increase in asthma attacks or symptoms such as coughing and difficulty breathing.

Subsequently, they are advocating more Clean Air Zones to be introduced throughout the UK. Safer areas for walking and cycling are also being encouraged. This would lead to fewer vehicles on the roads which would ultimately lower pollution levels and help lessen climate change.

A spokesperson for them said that 2000 locations in the UK were totally unacceptable in 2020 because it meant that millions of people were breathing polluted air.

What is the pollution level in Brighton?

According to a 2019 report, nitrogen oxide (NO) pollution “exceeded” or was “close to exceeding” air quality standards on four of the arterial roads passing through Brighton. Road traffic in and out of the city centre was the major source of pollution, but gas heating was also a factor.

With the exception of just a few days each year, levels of Particulate Matter PM2.5 and PM10 are low. It was noted that poorer households, often located along the busier roads, were disproportionately affected by pollution, with long-term health effects including heart disease, cancer and respiratory problems.

Fine particle pollution was generally low throughout the year due to the fresh air brought by south-westerly winds which had a cleansing effect.

What can be done to improve the air quality in Brighton?

In 2029, Brighton Council announced its intention to be carbon-neutral by 2030. They are introducing Ultralow emission zones in certain areas of the city and are investing heavily in electric vehicle infrastructures such as charging points for use by the general public and rapid chargers for use by taxis who do not have as much free time to recharge their vehicle fully.

The city’s fleet of buses needs to be retrofitted with modern technology to make them cleaner and less-polluting.

Cycle paths and pedestrianised areas are to be made safer and introduced to encourage people to abandon their cars from time to time.

What are the effects of breathing Brighton’s poor quality air?

The health consequences of poor quality air are borne primarily by the weakest and poorest in society: children, the elderly and the sick. Nitrogen oxides not only cause cardiovascular diseases and asthma but also allergies and diabetes. In contrast to cigarette smoke, individuals hardly have the opportunity to escape the impairment. Those who use roads have to accept that they inhale pollutants. They have no other choice.

Of all things, emission-free road users such as cyclists can be more exposed to harmful gases and particles than motorists. It is true that the pollution in the car is higher but as cyclists breathe faster and deeper through physical exertion, more pollutants get into their lungs. Even pedestrians cannot escape the negative effects.

One thing is clear: dirty diesel engines are the main problem. While the share of diesel cars in nitrous oxide emissions in road traffic was eight per cent in 2000, it was a huge 50 per cent in 2016. In urban areas, the proportion is even more at 70 per cent.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), suspended particles affect more people than any other pollutant and their main components are sulphates, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, coal and mineral dust. Particles are classified according to their diameter into PM10 and PM2.5. The latter is the most dangerous because when inhaled, they can reach the bronchioles and alter the pulmonary exchange of gases, causing respiratory diseases, and even cancer.

How can people protect themselves from the dirty air in Brighton?

In December 2018, the University of Brighton made online air quality data available so residents can see which times and days were more polluted than others. In this way, they can make a choice as to when to go out and when to stay at home.

The service could help those with respiratory diseases such as asthma and emphysema avoid outdoor exposure when levels of pollutants are at their highest. The data is simply illustrated in the form of graphs showing levels of potentially harmful gases over the last 24 hours, seven and 30 days. It is hoped that the format is relatively simple to understand.

The figures are taken from a recently installed Air Environment Research (AER) monitoring station at Falmer. The new website where this information can be found, explains where the pollutants come from and the effect they might have on a person. The pollutants which they explain are nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde and nitrous acid.

The importance of how deadly air pollution can be was stressed by the fact that the WHO has reported that outdoor air pollution kills more people worldwide than road traffic accidents, smoking and diabetes combined.