The air conditioning and ventilation sectors in the United Kingdom are working together in a rare demonstration of cross-industry collective action following a high-profile report condemning Britain's air quality.
The groups, led by leading HVAC body the Building Engineering Services Association, are aiming to raise the subject of indoor air quality (IAQ) up the political agenda, in response to the report "Every breath we take" from the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
The fact that the report came direct from the medical establishment, replete with direct data on the links between pollution and poor health, has given an unprecedented weight to its conclusions, including clear recommendations for government intervention.
The report comes amid mounting concern at the lack of regulation of air quality in the U.K. — particularly in IAQ — to the extent that a group of environmental lawyers is now mounting legal action against the government for failing to meet clean air targets. The group Client Earth will take the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to court for its failure to meet European regulations — Defra has indicated that it will not reduce pollution to the 2015 required levels for another nine years.
And the report has caught the political imagination, with the opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn taking the prime minister to task Wednesday in parliament over the government's muted response to the air pollution threat.
"We all welcome the Clean Air Act of 1956, but things have moved on a little bit since then," Corbyn said derisively.
The report lays bare the risks to health from air pollution, both outdoors and in domestic and work environments. It explains how a wide variety of sources — including diesel fumes, wood-burning stoves, pollen and even candles and air fresheners — creates a cumulative impact on the U.K. population's health and gives rise to huge costs, yet is poorly regulated, monitored and understood.
The report is being seized upon by the air conditioning and ventilation sector, which has been voicing concerns about the lack of IAQ regulation for a number of months — particularly when it comes to building regulations. The manufacturers and representative bodies see the stark conclusions from the report as an opportunity to improve, or where necessary introduce, standards and to emphasize the benefits of modern filtration technology.
"Every breath we take" introduces its subject with a bleak summary of the cumulative impact of pollution on its citizens: "Each year in the U.K., around 40,000 deaths are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution, with more linked also to exposure to indoor pollutants. Air pollution plays a role in many of the major health challenges of our day, and has been linked to cancer, asthma, stroke and heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and changes linked to dementia."
What has surprised many non-HVAC people in the U.K. is the contention that there are few direct regulations: "Neither the concentration limits set by government, nor the World Health Organisation's air quality guidelines define levels of exposure that are entirely safe for the whole population. When our patients are exposed to such a clear and avoidable cause of death, illness and disability, it is our duty as doctors to speak out."
On top of the direct health risks, the doctors' groups point out the extremely high financial and business costs of unmitigated pollution: "The health problems resulting from exposure to air pollution also have a high cost to society and business, our health services, and people who suffer from illness and premature death. In the U.K., these costs add up to more than £20 billion every year. ... Taking action will reduce pain, suffering and demands on the NHS, while getting people back to work, learning and an active life. The value of these benefits far exceeds the cost of reducing emissions."
While a significant part of the report is concerned with the risks of outdoor pollution, given general concern about the effects of diesel vehicles, there are a number that relate directly to IAQ improvements. These are:
1. Quantify the relationship between indoor air pollution and health. "We must strengthen our understanding of the relationship between indoor air pollution and health, including the key risk factors and effects of poor air quality in our homes, schools and workplaces. A coordinated effort among policy-making bodies will be required to develop and apply any necessary policy changes."
2. Determine how global trends are affecting air quality. "From increased energy production and consumption to global economic development and urbanization, we need to improve our understanding of how major social and economic trends are affecting air quality and its twin threat, climate change."
3. Develop new technologies to improve air pollution monitoring. "We need better, more accurate and wider-ranging monitoring programs so that we can track population-level exposure to air pollution. We also need to develop adaptable monitoring techniques to measure emerging new pollutants, and known pollutants that occur below current concentration limits. We must develop practical technology — such as wearable 'smart' monitors — that empower individuals to check their exposure and take action to protect their health."
But perhaps the most important recommendation from the report is that more work must be done on setting controls and guidelines at both a local and national level and strengthening existing instruments such as building regulations to reduce indoor and outdoor pollution.
It is this incendiary collection of conclusions the HVAC sector is setting out to address with its cross-industry action group. The IAQ group believes it has a dual function — both lobbying for change and emphasizing the technical solutions that ventilation and AC can achieve, given that most people spend the majority of their time in an indoor environment.
It remains to be seen how the government responds to the pressure from lobbyists, the industry and the public alike to what is clearly an emotive subjective. Many believe changes to building regulations to filter air would be a relatively straightforward action that could reap results.
