Summary

We have measured the quality of the air in your selected postcode.

Definition

Our air quality metric measures how clean the air is in your area by looking at data on the presence of harmful particles of substances such as carbon, sulphate, nitrate, ammonium, minerals and metals. The particles we have considered are known as particulate matter “PM2.5”, which is basically any atmospheric particulate matter (“PM”) that has a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres, or roughly 3% the diameter of a human hair.

Why the metric matters from a commercial inhabitant’s perspective?

For commercial inhabitants, air quality is important to consider as it will have a large impact on the extent to which potential customers choose to spend their recreational time and therefore income in an area. The general rule is that people are unlikely to want to spend their recreational time where levels of air quality are poor. This creates a push factor discouraging potential customers from the neighbourhood. It therefore follows that unless a business can overcome the poor air quality push factor with consumer attracting pull factors, such as by creating agglomerative benefits of multiple shopping opportunities (as done in Westfield White City) or by being conveniently located to commuting consumers (as is the case with Oxford Street) if a business is reliant on customer footfall- they will likely find that poor levels of air quality will comparatively dissuade potential customers (especially pedestrians) from spending too much time and consequently money in a given area. This view is supported by countless studies which have found a strong correlation exists between decreased relative consumer spending and high levels of air pollution within urban areas. Such studies often cite poor air quality as the reason for consumers opting to undertake their recreational shopping activities elsewhere.

Why the metric matters from a residential inhabitant’s perspective?

When deciding where to live, work, and what route to take to get between the two, it is important to consider the levels of air quality present and the duration of exposure in these areas. Although it is not always practical to change your living or travel arrangements based on this factor, it is especially important to consider if you are a jogger or cyclist, have breathing-related health issues, young children, or are elderly. It is also important to consider, even if you are perfectly healthy, that low air quality has long been known to negatively affect one’s health in the long term. Recent research has also highlighted the potential link between low air quality and sub optimal cognitive performance in children, suggesting that schools that are too proximate to areas with poor air quality could be relatively disadvantageous to children’s learning and development.

General commentary

It is worth noting that interpreting air quality result is not something that should be done without a little input from the experts. The figures captured in our data refer to the background levels of PM2.5 averaged out over the course of a year. It is worth noting however that PM2.5 levels vary month to month and depending on where the measurement point is situated with roadside measures often being circa 10-50% above the background level. Our analysis, however, is a useful general comparator to understand the level of PM2.5 as produced by various sources, including power plants, motor vehicles, airplanes, residential wood burning, forest fires, agricultural burning, and dust storms in comparison to the rest of London. What follows is a European Environment Agency general guidance on the likely health effects of PM2.5 levels and the advisory precautionary measures to take.

Trivia

London became known as the ‘Big Smoke’ in the late 19th century due to the persistent veil of smog that covered the city once the industrial revolution had gained momentum. Such intense bouts of fog were given the nickname “pea soupers”.

History

London is no stranger to toxic air. Since the 17th century, writers have documented the foul atmospheres created by the burning of sea coal and backed-up chimneys suffocating families in their homes. In fact, legislation that attempted to curb air pollution was introduced as early as 1306. It was not until the 1850s, however, that London began to experience extremely dangerous levels of pollution. As the world’s wealthiest city at the time, London was essentially one gigantic construction site, with 6.5 million people living in the city - that is only 2 million less than London’s populated 7 years ago! As the industrial heart of the British Empire, London was packed with families using coal and wood fires to keep warm, and factories burning fossil fuels with no health and safety controls. Alongside this, there was not yet an established sewer system where the streets and the Thames were used instead, creating an unimaginably noxious environment. Man-made fogs that enveloped the city were frequent, and the number one cause of death was tuberculosis and lung disease. Despite many industries moving away from London after the World Wars and the reduction in families using solid fuel to heat their homes, motor vehicles came forward to fill the gap left by these practices. During 1952, another deadly smog filled the city, filling even the insides of people’s homes with a dark and ominous fog. It was decided that this was to be the final time, prompting the creation of the Clean Air Act in 1956. Much has been done since to remedy the problems plaguing London’s atmosphere, however, much more of the gases present today are just as toxic even though they are not visible. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has taken steps towards cleaning up London’s air, though the results of this are still too early to see.