Fleur Anderson Takes a Measure of Pollution in Putney
MP checks air quality on local roads on Clean Air Day
Fleur Anderson MP measuring pollution locally
Fleur Anderson, MP for Putney, took to the streets for Clean Air Day which took place this Thursday (16 June), to measure the presence of pollution on some of the busiest local streets.
She was using an ultra-fine particle counter lent to her by Imperial College London Environmental Research Group.
She says her findings were interesting, showing a similarly high presence of ultra-fine particles on Upper Richmond Road outside Putney Leisure Centre, on Lower Richmond Road, and on three points down Putney High Street.
The readings in all three locations fluctuated between 13,000 and 25,000 ufp per cm3, with some noticeable spikes of up over 100,000 for short periods.
Ms Anderson, MP for Putney, said, "It was amazing to take the ultra-fine particle counter out for the day. I was able to see the instant impact of some buses and the noticeable spikes that came from idling vehicles.
"We've made some progress on Putney High Street recently, with the introduction of many green buses, but we still have a long way to go, and we need to see robust action now for the sake of our health and the health of our children.
"Since becoming an MP, I have been calling for a new Clean Air Act to tackle this problem that is so important to the people of Putney, Southfields and Roehampton."
Ultra-fine particles are thought to have particularly aggressive health implications, with evidence pointing towards a connection with lung cancer and cardiopulmonary disease.
The local MP wants to see the Government adopt WHO air quality targets and strive to achieve them by 2030, with green buses on every route.
She added, "I also want to see more safe cycle routes and more school streets. We need to encourage more people to cycle, and we do that by making it safer.
"There's also another thing the Government could do to improve our air quality in Putney overnight, and that is to reopen Hammersmith Bridge and stop all of this extra traffic diverting through our already congested streets.
“I want to thank the Imperial College London Environmental Research Group for lending me the ultra-fine particle counter. It was incredibly eye-opening."
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June 17, 2022