News Archive
Latest 50 news articles
Mayoral candidates asked to address public health crisis
A campaign group called Clean Air in London has called upon mayoral candidates to address the 'biggest public health crisis for decades'. Clean air is set to be a dominant theme in the run up to the 2012 election for the next mayor of London, with a new manifesto been launched for Clean Air in London. The manifesto highlights several priorities that should be included in the candidate's campaign, including championing the case for air quality with the UK and European governments, cutting traffi...
India revealed to have 'worst air pollution in the world'
The annual Environmental Performance Index has been revealed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, finding that India has overtaken China as having the worst air pollution in the world. China dropped to 125th place out of the 132 countries surveyed, leaving India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh at the back as having the worse air effects on human health. The data is compiled using satellite data from environmental research centres at Yale and Columbia Universities. A New York Times...
Increased pollution effort and open awareness in Scotland
The Scottish parliament will require extra efforts in order to achieve emission goals; it has been reported by the Press Association, as the government attempts to improve awareness over air pollution in the area. Legislation passed by Holyrood targeted a 42 per cent drop in emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. However, the ambitious targets will require extra actions, after the independent advisory body the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) declared action on pollution and a tightening up of the...
Intercontinental crop losses caused by pollution
Ozone pollution generated in North America caused Europe to lose 1.2 million tonnes of wheat a year, according to a new study. The research, conducted by the University of Leeds in the UK, found that fossil fuels are damaging crop growths of wheat, maize, soybean, cotton, potato and rice not only locally, but also travelling thousands of miles downwind. The new research reflects the importance of international strategies to curb carbon emissions. The 2009 Copenhagen summit, which fell apart with...
Scotland first UK nation to launch pollution alert system
A pollution alert system has been launched in Scotland in a bid to make information more accessible and improve public health. It is the first UK nation to offer pollution alerts. A report last year found Scotland's major cities are being exposed to "dangerous levels" of air pollution. Know & Respond alerts those who sign up to the system when poor air quality is forecast for the day ahead. Users get alerts via text message or email. Poor air quality can particularly affect people with heart con...
Pollution control products boost in demand
Increased production of vehicles alongside the tightening of global air pollution regulations has led to a significant increase in demand for diesel-engine pollution control products. Corning Inc, a major supplier of the pollution control products, has reported a drastic increase in sales as companies invest more in complying with international pollution law, it has been reported by Democrat and Chronicle. Heavy duty sales are expected to grow from 125,000 in 2010 to about 225,000 this year in t...
Severe health warnings in Delhi
Gastrointestinal diseases, asthma, bronchitis and vitamin D deficiency are all being linked with severe weather conditions and pollution in Delhi, according to the Times of India. The North Indian city is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16.7 million inhabitants in the territory at the 2011 Census. The cramped environment and the excessive air pollution has made life difficult in the city, with 7,525 deaths in 2010 from complications from respiratory diseases, a 41 p...
Pollution-related asthma cost spiralling
The cost of asthma that is being caused by pollution is far higher than past records, according to researchers in the US, who estimated that the cost of asthma caused by traffic-related pollution in certain areas could be over $18 million per year. The study was conducted in Long Beach and Riverside in California, America, which are both areas with high regional air pollution levels and which have large roads near residential neighbourhoods. Researchers used new techniques that allowed them to...
Continuing discrepancies in Beijing data
Beijing has started to record PM2.5 pollutants in the city as the Chinese begin an overhaul of their data collection methods, but early results still show discrepancies with US data, according to the Wall Street Journal. Early measurements from Monday morning showed that pollution levels were at 'moderate' according to Beijing readings, which registered at around 30 micrograms per cubic meter. However, US readings showed readings of 66 micrograms per cubic metre, which is considered an 'unhealt...
Innovative car to tackle urban pollution
An innovative car has been designed by manufacturers in Spain to curb inner-city pollution, as well as solve city transport problems and create new jobs. The new eclectic cars, named ‘Hiriko’, have been developed in the Basque country and have the ability to fold up like a child’s collapsible buggy. It is powered by electric, and can run 120 kilometres (75 miles) without a recharge. The speed of the car is also set to city limits to increase the appreciation of road safety in the urban areas. Th...
Odour Solution for Sewage Pump Sites
Fanquip technologies are being used to alleviate noxious odour problems at government and private pump sites in waste transfer applications. Such sites can see megalitres of raw sewage flowing into it each day, operations and maintenance personnel normally find it near impossible to enter the premises due to a high degree of unpleasant odour hydrogen sulphide (HS2). To counter the problem, Australian air movement specialist Fanquip positions a number of its hooded roof fans to channel expulsion...
Existing technologies 'could save millions of lives'
Measurements that are based on existing technologies and that can be implemented immediately could save millions of lives, according to new research by Drew Shindell from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Limiting how much soot and methane reaches the atmosphere using existing technologies alone could save almost five million lives a year, and increase global crop yields significantly, according to the report. It could also slow global warming down by around half a degree by 2050. Coun...
Criegee biradical could have 'cooling effect'
Criegee biradicals could have a 'cooling effect' on the planet by converting pollutants into compounds, leading to cloud formation that will shield the earth from the sun. Scientists from the University of Manchester have found that pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide, react with Criegee biradical which then neutralises the pollutants. The 'clean-up' effect has been found to react faster than expected, leading to bigger impact than previously thought. The study shows that th...
PM promises action over worrying report in Czech Republic
The Czech prime minister Petr Necas has promised to take action over pollution in the country, after the 2010 environmental report revealed worrying environmental figures, it has been reported by Prague Daily Monitor. According to the report, which was conducted by the Environmental Ministry, urban areas of the country have seen increased concentrations of arcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It also revealed that 48 per cent of the Czech population live in areas with excessive concentr...
Air pollution control at IFAT ENTSORGA 2012 – Great potential in energy-efficiency and resource recovery
The waste-recovery and disposal industry makes use of technologies to reduce air pollution in many different ways. For example in the extraction of harmful substances in biomass combustion processes, in environmentally friendly operation of processing plant and in purifying the emissions resulting from the recycling of electronic waste. As a spin-off, more and more systems are recovering energy or secondary raw materials from the emissions streams. This is an area with great potential therefore...
Hong Kong pollution is worst ever
Major pollutants, such as respirable suspended particles and nitrogen oxides, were found to be at their worst level ever in Hong Kong, and ten times as bad as they were in 2005, according to the city's Environmental Protection Department. The figures, reported in Reuters, showed that vehicle emissions and industrial pollution from Pearl River Delta, which is one of the most densely urbanised regions in the world, are already forcing large commercial organisations to move elsewhere over health co...
Polish lawmakers appeal for softening of ETS
The emission trading system (ETS), considered to be the cornerstone of EU law to cut greenhouse gases, has been challenged by a group of Polish lawmakers, who claim the laws are damaging economic growth. The Solidarna Polska group is planning to call on the EU regulator to propose a revision of the 2008 climate package that bolstered the European carbon cap-and-trade program, according to Bloomberg. The group will require the support of one million EU citizens from at least one- quarter of the 2...
Scottish government accused of environment 'u-turn'
Targets made by the Scottish government for cutting traffic growth have been dropped, raising further health concerns after recent results showed larger cities in the country have breached EU safety limits. The government is now planning for up to 20 per cent more journeys on Scotland's roads by 2020, with more rush-hour bottlenecks expected, it has been reported by The Herald. Environmental groups have accused the government of 'watering down' its commitment to reduce harmful greenhouse gasses....
Harmful emissions and air pollution to blame for drought and flooding
A new study by researchers in the US and Israel has found that increases in air pollution and other particulate matter can strongly affect cloud development, it has been reported by Nature Geoscience. Air pollutants, such as those from aerosols, can alter cloud density and the radiative balance of the atmosphere which leads to changes in cloud microphysics and atmospheric stability. The effects on cloud development can reduce precipitation in cool and dry regions; while increasing rain and the i...
China's transparency faces reality
Data transparency over air pollutants in China's major cities has led to officials stating it could be 20 years before city dwellers breath healthy air. According to Wu Dui, a haze expert at the Guangdong Meteorological Agency, Europe and the US took 50 years to deal with pollution problems, and even if China were to half this time, it would still be 20 to 30 years before pollution was under control. The sober tone comes as the government plans to publically release data on PM2.5, which account...
Dust suppressants to be used in London
Dust suppressants, made up of a solution of calcium magnesium acetate, are to be used on London's busiest roads in an attempt to control air pollution in the capital. The new scheme is to be implemented after a successful trial showed that using the 'pollution glue' on busy roads can cut the level of particles in the air by ten per cent. By coating the city's busiest roads with the glue, chemicals from the air stick to the tarmac, and are then picked up by car tyres or washed away by the rain. H...
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at 'danger levels' in Scotland
Scottish city pollution is 'at danger levels' in Scotland according to the World Wildlife Foundation, after conducting an analysis on Scottish cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. The levels of air pollution, which have been said to be in breach of EU targets, are a serious risk to health, with high levels of diesel fumes in the area being linked to heart risks. The Scottish government commented to the BBC that it "was working to improve travel choices and promote a low carb...
Revised Chinese pollution results may not be known until 2016
China will start recording smaller particles, PM 2.5, after seeing its major cities shrouded in acrid smog, forcing people to wear masks or even stay indoors, it has been reported by Reuters. Official reports from Beijing show that air pollution is only 'slight', however, US reports using PM 2.5 have shown air quality so poor it is off the scale. Chinese cities currently do not measure and disclose data on the smaller particles from smokestacks and exhaust pipes that float in the air, disclosing...
Cap-and-trade programme to go ahead
The European Union's cap-and-trade carbon credits programme is set to go ahead, as a legal bid from US airlines failed to deter the legislation. The EU law, that will charge airlines flying into Europe for their carbon pollution, has been hailed by environmentalists who describe the ruling as the first step in controlling carbon emissions in a key area. However, Fitch ratings agency believe the ruling could trigger a global trade dispute. Aviation is the fastest-growing source of carbon pollutio...
CEM Conference proceedings now available on CD
The 10th International Conference on Emissions Monitoring conference proceedings are now available to purchase on CD. Experts from around the world presented to an international audience on the latest legislation, technology, case studies and applications to effect the Emissions Monitoring Industry. Sessions in this informative meeting included: • Legislation and its effects on the industry - are you ready for the industrial emissions directive? • Monitoring of particulates and trace species -...
EU pollution targets 'unrealistic' say member states
European Union (EU) member states, particularly Sweden and Finland, have opposed an international anti-pollution agreement that aims to limit air-polluting sulphur from marine fuels. The new rules, which will limit emissions down from 1.5% to just 0.1% by 2015, requires substantial changes in the way vessels are fuelled, which has been claimed to be unrealistic in the time scale proposed. Shipping vessels in Europe's three main seas, the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel, would e...
New techniques used to uncover air pollutant link to DNA damage
Researchers in the Czech Republic have used new techniques to uncover a link between exposure to certain air pollutants and an increase in DNA damage, it has been reported by Click Green. The study found that breathing small a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), called benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), caused an increase in the number of certain biomarkers in DNA associated with a higher risk of diseases, including cancer. DNA from 950 police officers and bus drivers in Prague was tested using biomarke...
Hamworthy Krystallon Delivers Commercial Marine Scrubber System
Hamworthy Krystallon, a marine scrubbing technology manufacturer, announces that the first of four vessels installed with the company’s seawater scrubbers for leading Italian ship owner Ignazio Messina & Co has come on line. Linea Messina is the first ever vessel to operate commercially with a scrubber system, enabling Ignazio Messina to meet 0.1% sulphur emissions regulations in EU ports, as well as “future-proofing” the vessel for the impending 2015 0.1% Emission Control Area (ECA). “This is a...
Lenzing Technik: setting up two biological exhaust air purification facilities for Tyrolit
TYROLIT Schleifmittelwerke Swarovski KG is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of grinding tools. In order to satisfy the strict requirements placed upon environmentally-compatible production processes, Lenzing Technik GmbH is setting up two state-of-technology biological exhaust air purification facilities. These BRI BIOReaction models are to be located at Tyrolit’s main production base in the Tyrolean city of Schwaz, Austria. Lenzing Technik’s great expertise in environmental technologies...
UK government 'making a mockery' of efforts to reduce air pollution
A legal battle has ensued over EU rules that have allowed Britain to delay meeting air pollution targets until as late as 2025, despite a growing health crisis. The UK government has been accused by campaigners of making a 'mockery' of efforts to reduce air pollution in London and other cities. Despite EU rules stating that countries can only apply for extensions on reducing pollutants until 2015, the UK has put forward plans to delay meeting the reduction targets until 2020 in 17 regions and c...
Health warnings force Israel to cut pollution
The Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection has introduced the first national air pollution reduction programme, aiming for a double-digit reduction in the percentage of ozone, microparticles, and nitrogen oxides in Israel's air. The government projected that illness caused by air pollution will cost NIS 8 billion (£1.4 billion) within a decade unless significant changes are made. An estimated cost of NIS 690 million (£118 million) to implement the scheme is reported to be 'small change' co...
Scottish plans to cut pollution could cost £11 billion
The costs of Scotland’s ambitious climate change targets have been revealed in a report by Audit Scotland, which estimates the scheme may cost up to £11 billion. The report, entitled Reducing Scottish Greenhouse Gas Emissions, also documented a target of 42 per cent emissions reduction by 2020, which is significantly higher than the UK's target of 34 per cent, and is over double the EU's 20 per cent target. The country has already reduced emissions by over 25 per cent since 1990; this latest p...
Worrying pollution reports from Albania
Photochemical smog of up to 100m has been reported in Albania, as a lack of regulation has left the country in environmental turmoil. A recent report, conducted by SETimes, has gathered inside knowledge on the acute pollution problems in the South European country. Sazab Guri, head of the Ecological European Alliance, described Albania as being one of the most polluted countries in Europe. With pollution from "total particles" called LNPs, Tirana has an average of 323 micro grams per cubic mete...
China faces reality on pollution
Pollution levels in the Chinese capital Beijing have finally dropped from unhealthy levels, allowing flights to resume at a reduced level. The recent smog engulfing the city has lead to a stark reality check, as disturbing health figures are released. The Global Times, a newspaper owned by the Communist Party’s People’s Daily, has admitted concern after Beijing’s level of pollution measured ‘beyond index’. The US Embassy’s pollution monitor, which measures air pollutants in a 500- point air qual...
Satellite images highlight reduction of air pollution
A team of researchers have suggested air pollution levels in the vicinity of coal-fired power plants in the US have fallen significantly. For the first time, scientists have used images recorded by Nasa satellites to back up figures on the ground that hinted levels of harmful emissions released by such facilities were in decline. The team - led by an Environment Canada researcher - discovered that pollutants had diminished by nearly 50 per cent since 2005. This could be down to the success of...
Air pollution 'costing Europe billions'
Air pollution is costing Europe billions of euros every year, a new study by the European Environment Agency (EEA) has confirmed. The report has suggested the 10,000 largest carbon producing facilities throughout the continent caused up to €169 billion (£145 billion) of environmental damage in 2009. Emissions from these sources cost each European citizens between €200 and €330 on average throughout the year. According to the study, the UK, Poland, Germany, Italy and France were the worst offende...
AEA expertise helps the EEA to reveal the costs of industrial air pollution
AEA expertise has helped the European Environment Agency (EEA) to reveal the costs of industrial air pollution in a new report published today (November 24, 2011). The report, Revealing the costs of air pollution from industrial facilities in Europe, assesses the costs to health and the environment caused by pollutants emitted from industrial facilities in Europe. Using the latest information publicly available from the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR), the report provid...
AECOM awarded major Kuwaiti air quality project
AECOM, a provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world, announces that it has been awarded a major air quality monitoring, carbon management, and regulatory development project in the Middle East. AECOM will provide essential environmental, engineering and sustainability related services support to the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and the Kuwaiti Environmental Public Authority (K-EPA) in upgrading and establishing a new Regu...
Carbon capture and storage 'can cut air pollution for now'
Leaders at the European Environment Agency (EEA) have suggested that carbon capture and storage (CCS) could help reduce air pollution in the short term. CCS involves catching the carbon emissions produced by power plants and burying them underground. However, the organisation has warned this will only be a viable solution for the next few decades before a more permanent low carbon economy is achieved. EEA executive director Jacqueline McGlade said that while CCS will have a notable impact on air...
UK government attacked over air pollution
The UK government has been accused of attempting to "water down" EU air pollution legislation rather than make a concerted effort to reduce carbon emissions. According to the UK's Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), dangerous levels of particulate matter (PM10) are still commonly found in the atmosphere, which is contributing to tens of thousands of deaths each year. Instead of taking measures to cut down on air pollution, the EAC believes the coalition government is merely seeking extensions o...
BASF’s Catalyzed SCR Filter invention wins 2011 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award
The Research and Development Council of New Jersey, USA, has awarded a team of BASF catalyst inventors with the prestigious 2011 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award for outstanding environmental contributions. The award was presented at a ceremony held last evening at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. The BASF inventors honored at the ceremony include Joseph A. Patchett, Joseph C. Dettling and Elizabeth A. Przybylski. This team’s invention is an emission treatment system that ca...
'Room for improvement' in air clean-up attempts
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has insisted there is still room for improvement in the continent's attempts to cut down on air pollution. According to new statistics published by the organisation this week, air quality has shown advancement throughout Europe since 1990, but many countries are still lagging behind in certain areas. It stated that although in many cases carbon emissions have fallen, high volumes of pollutants such as particulate matter (PM10) - which is one of the most dang...
WWF calls for international shipping pollution cuts
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) wants to see action taken in order to reduce the amount of pollution produced by the international shipping sector. It has called on the UK government to work towards a global agreement with other countries and has suggested introducing a carbon price of $25 (£15.50) per tonne on shipping fuel. This comes after the UK's Committee on Climate Change (CCC) asked for urgent measures to be put in place to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions from boats. Head of climate c...
Carbon Positive launches programme for ship owners and operators
Carbon Positive, a carbon management consultancy for the maritime sector, today launched its Carbon Positive Programme for Ships (CPPS). The programme, which is specifically designed to support ship owners, ship managers and operators, will enable a reduction in CO2 emissions through a tailored carbon strategy; future proofing against impending regulations whilst exploiting immediate commercial benefits. Reduced carbon emissions will generate carbon credits that can be used for offsetting. Devel...
Higher carbon prices 'could help lower pollution'
The price of carbon emission permits is "far too cheap", an energy and technology expert has warned. Executive director of the Energy Services and Technology Association Alan Aldridge believes carbon reduction targets are unlikely to be met unless it becomes more expensive to "buy" emissions. Currently, carbon allowances are priced at €11 (£9.40) per tonne, but Mr Aldridge said this needs to be raised to around €50 if the EU is to achieve its goals. "[Some energy targets] might be reduced, but t...
US 'can become a world leader in cutting carbon pollution'
The US is capable of becoming a world leader in cutting carbon pollution, it has been claimed. Founder and president of the non-profit group the Earth Policy Institute Lester Brown told Environment News Service that figures relating to the country's CO2 emissions in the past four years are encouraging. Since 2007, the US has managed to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels such as coal and oil, with pollution output from the former being trimmed by ten per cent and the latter by 11 per cent. Altho...
Alstom secures contracts to reduce emissions at power plants in the USA, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan
Alstom, a supplier of Air Quality Control Systems (AQCS) has been awarded contracts worth globally over €240 million for emissions control at power plants in Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Increasingly stringent environmental regulations worldwide are fueling the growth of the AQCS market globally. This trend is set to continue due to the large number of installed coal-fired power plants in North America and Europe, and the massive scale of new fossil-fired power plant development i...
Air clean-up needed in smog-filled Beijing
Air clean-up measures could be required in Beijing, after the Chinese capital was blighted by thick smog yesterday (October 31st). The metropolis is renowned for its pollution problem, as its inhabitants continue to up their energy consumption. Much of China's power is still produced from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, meaning carbon dioxide emissions are high. The government has been forced to close roads and suspend flights in and out of the city due to the density of the fog. D...
EU defiant over pollution reforms
The European Union (EU) is confident environmental legislation reforms aimed at tackling pollution in the airline industry will be forced through. Earlier this week, lawmakers in the US voted to make the country's airlines exempt from the emissions trading scheme that is set to be introduced across the 27 EU states in 2012. However, EU spokesperson Isaac Valero-Ladron was reported by the Press Association as saying: "We do not intend to modify our adopted legislation." Airlines from various nati...
International Call for Energy Innovators 2011 Is Launched
Are you developing a technology or service with the potential to revolutionise electricity transmission, distribution and efficiency of use by customers? Are you looking to trial new smart grid or network technologies on the UK power networks? Perhaps you are looking for innovation finance for power network products? If so, find out more about the Energy Innovation Centre’s ‘International Call for Energy Innovators 2011’ initiative. This scheme helps suitable technology providers to enter the...