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. However, the scheme has been criticised by environmental groups, who believe it is a poor substitution for more muscular action to clean air quality in the capital.

A recent study by Clean Air found that 13 schools in London are situated near roads that carry more than 100,000 cars a day. The level of pollutant particles in the air, PM10, frequently breach European regulations, with things set to get worse when the city hosts the Olympics and Paralympics next summer.

Alan Andrews of environmental law group Client Earth said: "Suppressants may achieve compliance in localised areas near monitoring stations and avoid further action from the European Commission, but they address the symptoms and not the causes of the problem."