Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
In an appeal to coincide with Clean Air Day, representatives from Scotland’s royal medical colleges are pushing the Scottish Government to do more to tackle the problem.
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The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE), the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in Scotland, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) in Scotland want the Scottish Government to focus on reducing annual average levels of nitrogen. dioxide, a poisonous gas produced mainly from transport.
An investigation by Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) last year reported a “continued failure” in some parts of Scotland to meet the statutory average annual nitrogen dioxide levels limit of 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3).
Doctors said Scotland should strive to achieve 20 µg/m³ within the next five years, with the ultimate aim of reducing nitrogen dioxide levels to the maximum 10 µg/m³ recommended by the World Health Organization ( WHO) by 2035.
They also want the Scottish Government to focus on reducing peak levels of traffic-related air pollution, which occurs during busy periods such as rush hour when school children are more likely to be exposed.
Air pollution is linked to premature birth, smaller babies with reduced brain growth, children’s hospital admissions with lung and skin disease, and significant adult illnesses such as heart attack, dementia, stroke and lung disease.
The RCPE recently proposed a pilot scheme to install air quality monitors near a number of urban primary schools in Scotland’s largest cities.
Professor Jill Belch, co-chair of RCPE’s short-lived working group on air pollution, said: “By doing so, we can collect better data on air pollution ‘hotspots’ near schools, which could make Scotland better informed to create policies to reduce illness children linked to air pollution.”
Dr Mairi Stark, Scottish Officer for the RCPCH, said: “As paediatricians, we see first-hand the detrimental effect air pollution has on children.
“Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, as they breathe faster and inhale more toxins in the air in proportion to their weight, than adults who are exposed to the same air pollution.
“This can have a lasting impact on their health and development.
“Studies show that children and young people in disadvantaged communities also bear the brunt of air pollution, exacerbating already rampant health inequalities.
“The Scottish Government must act to tackle this and prevent further expansion of children’s health differences.
“Urgent action is needed to meet the recommendations of the World Health Organization and ensure that children in Scotland grow up in a healthy environment.”
Dr Munro Stewart, Joint Clinician Representative for Climate and Sustainability at RCGP Scotland, added that doing more to tackle air pollution would “reduce demand on the overstretched NHS”.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Scotland enjoys good air quality compared to much of Europe, but we are not complacent and are determined to go further.
“Our work to deliver our 2021 strategy, Clean Air for Scotland 2, including the introduction of Low Emission Zones in our four largest cities, means that Scotland has met all of its air quality objectives for the second year running.
“In addition, the Scottish Government is considering the implications for future policy following the publication of updated WHO air quality guidelines.”
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24397157.clean-air-day-doctors-demand-tougher-curbs-pollution/?ref=rss
