Pollutionwatch: gone with the wind

December's winds dispersed urban air pollution and January wafted in a new air quality index

A windy December was good news for air pollution. Urban air pollution was rapidly dispersed and low air pollution prevailed across the UK.

The new UK daily air quality index was launched on 1 January. Like the indices for pollen and UV, it aims to condense scientific information into an easy to understand format. When fully implemented, real-time changes in air pollution will give advance warning of problems, helping people to act to protect their own health. Daily air pollution is graded as low, moderate, high and very high with specific advice for vulnerable adults and children, such as those with heart and lung conditions. This includes advice on the use of their asthma inhalers or reducing their outdoor exercise when air pollution rises.

When air pollution reaches high or very high even generally healthy people may also experience symptoms such as cough and sore eyes or throat, and some athletes may notice effects during high levels of summer-time smog. New evidence means that more days will be described as having moderate or high air pollution, especially in towns and cities and close to busy roads.

Helping vulnerable people to protect their health is undoubtedly sensible but it is likely that lifetime exposure to even low levels of air pollution causes a greater health burden. This requires decreases in emissions from industry and transport every day, and not just action when air pollution is high.