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Air apparent
Page 20
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Truck drivers who sit in slow-moving traffic for extended periods may
risk their health by breathing in harmful
emissions. Jennifer Ball investigates.
World Health Organisation statistics show that air pollution in Europe accounts for about 100,000 premature adult deaths a year, and that emissions from road traffic comprises a significant share of that pollution.
In the European Union, the total cost of the adverse environmental and health effects of transport. including congestion, is estimated at up to E260bn. Air pollution can lead to a number of health problems. including respiratory conditions, heart disease, bronchitis, infertility and asthma.
Professor Malcolm Green of the British Lung Foundation says:"The effects of air pollution depend on the susceptibility of the individual. the amount of pollution and the length of exposure. Truck drivers are likely to be exposed to traffic pollution for long periods, and sometimes over many years. While this is unlikely to be as harmful as cigarette smoking, it may well have an effect on more susceptible individuals over a period of time."
Concern
Donna Convey, National Asthma Campaign chief executive, agrees. "Pollution is the biggest concern for people with asthma in the UK, with 70% saying that traffic fumes make their asthma worse she says."Evidence shows hospital admissions and visits to the doctor also increase during episodes of poor air quality."
Yet Bristol-based haulier Stuart Wring of Wrings Transport says he has never really considered the effect of traffic pollution on his drivers' health: -If there were shown to be serious health risks, a machine could be put in the cab to test the emissions. However, many of my drivers smoke, so this is likely to have affected their lungs already." The European Commission says EU countries must reduce pollution to 40 micrograms per cubic metre (40pgm') of particles less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10s) by 2005. So how is the UK cleaning up road transport?
One way is through its Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme and TransportAction CleanUp schemes, both of which promote the use of low-emission vehicles. However, as CM revealed last week,funding for the schemes has already run out six months ahead of schedule. Government plans to boost rail freight by 80% by 2010 have also been put on a back burner after its move to slash more than £300m from the Strategic Rail Authority's grants budget ( CM 23 January). •