Nearly Every Home in the UK Is Affected by Air Pollution

According to the Central Office of Public Interest (COPI), approximately 97% of UK businesses and homes are exposed to high levels of toxic air. This was revealed after the non-profit group produced a map of pollution levels in partnership with Imperial College London. The pollution levels were mapped from around 2,000 addresses throughout the UK and clearly demonstrate the extent of air pollution affecting UK homes.

Additionally, COPI also discovered that, of the addresses, 70% are in breach of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) limits.

Residents can check if their address is on the list in the COPI  ADDRESS POLLUTION website The addresses are also ranked against the national pollution levels.

As you will see, the most polluted cities and towns include:

• Slough, Berkshire – 90% (the highest level)
• London – 66%
• Manchester – more than 20%
• Leeds – almost 30%
• Reading – around 20%

Other cities and towns on the list are Oldham (the least polluted), Portsmouth, Stockport, Salford, and Southampton.

COPI founder Humphrey Milles stressed the importance of making air pollution data public, especially to renters and buyers. Air pollution affects anyone of any age and can significantly change your life. Toxic air is also identified as the cause of approximately seven million early deaths across the world. In the UK, the number of early deaths due to air pollution is at around 40,000 a year. The World Health Organization considers air pollution a major threat to both human health and our climate, confirming that outdoor air pollution causes fine particular matter which can result in strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and acute and chronic respiratory diseases.

WHO limits vs. UK limits

The COPI map indicates levels of NO2, PM10, and PM2.5, three of the most dangerous, toxic air pollutants. These three are also the pollutants that cause air pollution affecting UK homes, causing them various health issues and problems.

While the safe levels the WHO recommended is less than 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air for the PM2.5 average concentration, the UK’s legal limit is five times higher than this. The same is true for PM10 and NO2. PM10’s legal limit is 2.7 times higher than that of the World Health Organization’s.

Coroner Philip Barlow, the coroner who carried out the inquest on the cause of death of nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah, called on the government to come up with legally binding solutions and stricter laws of PM2.5 and other particulate matter.

Ella was a bright nine-year-old whose life ended early because of health complications caused by air pollution. The girl and her mum lived in the southeast of London and were exposed to excessive levels of nitrogen dioxide and other air pollutants.

Dieselgate emissions claims

High pollution levels have always been a problem in the UK and other developed nations for many years. The call for cleaner air and the steps some organisations take to circumvent responsibility is evident in the Dieselgate scandal that originated in the United States and involved German car manufacturer Volkswagen. The scandal expanded in a matter of months and crossed over to the UK, with more car companies now implicated in the emissions scam.

The Dieselgate scandal exposed car manufacturers that installed defeat devices in their diesel vehicles. Volkswagen was the first one found to have used the cheat software and Mercedes-Benz was the second automaker implicated in the issue. Other car manufacturers, such as Audi, BMW, and Alfa Romeo, were soon exposed by authorities as well.

Defeat devices are mechanisms installed in diesel vehicles that detect lab tests and automatically adjust emissions levels. When the vehicle is being tested, the device immediately reduces the level of emissions to within the safe and legal limits set by the WHO.

However, when the vehicles are driven in real-world road conditions (i.e., outside of the lab), the vehicle reverts to its usual emissions levels, which far exceed the mandated limits. This is extremely dangerous because the vehicles emit NOx (nitrogen oxides) gases that are harmful not only to the environment but to human health as well.

Many people made a conscious choice to purchase diesel vehicles based on the low emission figures that were provided by the manufacturer. So, therefore, Volkswagen, Mercedes, and all the other car manufacturers involved in the scandal misled their customers. These car owners are now adding to the high pollution levels we find in urban areas. Additionally, their vehicles are no longer in the low emission vehicle tax rates they thought they would be. This paved the way for legal representatives and groups to quite rightly encourage car owners to file diesel compensation claims against their manufacturers. Doing this will not only repay the customers but it will also give them an opportunity to contribute to the fight against air pollution.

Filing your diesel claim

If you purchased a diesel vehicle and were misled by claims at the time, you may be wondering “how can I make my diesel claim?” Here is a simple guide on what to do:

• Verify with your manufacturer if your vehicle is affected by the defeat device. For Mercedes diesel emissions claim, for example, all you need to do is visit their website. Most manufacturers typically devote a page for customers affected by the Dieselgate scandal. You should also check if your Mercedes-Benz was manufactured somewhere between 2008 and 2018. Only certain models were fitted with the defeat device.
• After verification, get in touch with a panel of solicitors who can help bring your claim to the courts. Choose solicitors who are well-trained, highly experienced, and regulated. The panel of solicitors at ClaimExperts.co.uk, for example, have experience in bringing forward diesel claims, as they have worked on the Volkswagen case for a number of years. They should be your first and only choice.

Get in touch with your chosen solicitor right away so you can start working on winning your compensation claim. Any complicit company should be held responsible for its irresponsible and deceitful claims!

And of course, if you are planning to move, due use the COPI website to check air pollution affecting UK homes to avoid putting yourself and your family’s health at risk.