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Tag Archives for: "air quality"
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Image of factory pollution against a sun set.

Clearing the air: pollution and cardiovascular health

Holly Shiels headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Air pollution is increasingly recognised as a major contributor to ill health, including cardiovascular disease. One of the most harmful chemicals released by burning fossil fuels – phenanthrene – is linked to heart disease, as well as other illnesses. Here, Professor Holly Shiels outlines work to investigate the sources of air pollution, the effect on cardiovascular health, […]

Industrial chimney pluming out smoke surrounded by an urban landscape of buildings.

Advanced materials addressing health risks from exposure to benzene

Headshot of Martin Schröder.Headshot of Sihai Yang. By and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban, Work Posted:

Benzene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) with widespread industrial applications, poses severe health risks to humans even at trace levels. Its genotoxic effects, which involve direct damage to cellular DNA and genetic material leading to mutations, are strongly linked to cancer and blood disorders, making its control a critical priority for workplace safety and environmental […]

Image of a path through a green park with a few people walking and cycling through it.

Charting a path to clean air: A community-centred approach to active travel policy

Sheena Cruickshank By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted:

Greater Manchester has amongst the worst air quality in the UK. Air pollution causes many health problems, as well as worsening pre-existing health conditions. Increasingly, Greater Manchester residents are concerned about poor air quality and want actions to be taken. Yet, budgets that could support change are under more and more constraints. In this article, […]

Communities, traffic and positive action to address air pollution

Sheena Cruickshank By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Health and Care, Urban Posted:

Air pollution levels in Greater Manchester are some of the highest in the UK. As air pollution can potentially worsen pre-existing health conditions, Greater Manchester residents are increasingly concerned about the high rates of air pollution and are seeking to find practical, place-based solutions to tackle the issue. In this article, Professor Sheena Cruickshank addresses […]

picture of digitally connected city

Using big data to tackle the air pollution problem

James EvansThomas BannanDavid Topping By , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Science and Technology Posted:

Data-driven policy has the potential to maximise positive outcomes on the environment, public health and the economy. In this blog, Prof David Topping, Prof James Evans and Dr Thomas Bannan explore the benefits of using big data tools as well as the challenges facing the implementation of data techniques to inform air quality policy in […]

picture of a windmill and a factory emitting smoke

Why policy on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions needs to be joined-up

Grant Allen By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Urban Posted:

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving air quality are closely linked objectives but are not considered simultaneously under current policy frameworks. In this blog, Professor Grant Allen discusses the benefits of developing a common policy framework aligning GHGs reduction goals with improvements in air quality. Considering these two objectives simultaneously, rather than in isolation, […]

picture of a wood burner

Indoor and outdoor wood burning needs a new way of thinking

Amanda Lea-Langton By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Urban Posted:

Biomass combustion, a significant contributor to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), has increased in urban areas due to the growing popularity of wood-burning stoves and biomass boilers. In this blog, Dr. Amanda Lea-Langton, Senior Lecturer in Bioenergy Engineering at The University of Manchester and member of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, outlines policy recommendations […]

person on a cycle

Improving air quality in urban areas

Sheena Cruickshank By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted:

Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK, thought to cause between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths a year. It has also been linked with the development and worsening of coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and lung cancer, exacerbates asthma and hay fever, and worsens the outcomes of respiratory infections such […]

cyclists in a park

How to build healthy cities

James EvansDavid ToppingSheena CruickshankJamie Anderson By , , , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted:

Cities are key places. Changing the way we plan and develop cities will be essential to meet our net zero targets as well as improve the health and lives of people in urban areas. In this blog, Professor James Evans, Dr Luke Munford, Professor David Topping, Professor Sheena Cruickshank and Dr Jamie Anderson explore the […]

Air Pollution: a UK opportunity to lead on tackling a global problem

Hugh Coe By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment Posted:

Poor air quality exacerbates socioeconomic inequalities and results in negative health outcomes, especially among vulnerable groups exposed to high levels of pollution. Air pollution remains a pressing global challenge against the backdrop of rapid urbanisation. In this blog, Professor Hugh Coe outlines opportunities for the UK to lead and co-develop solutions to address air pollution, […]

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