It’s hot outside - and that’s bad news for air quality, fuel tech boss warns

The July heatwave poses a serious public health risk due to higher pollution levels, a British firm working to improve air quality said today.

While some may welcome the hot spell, which is expected to last until the beginning of next week, fuel tech company SulNOx Group Plc said the unusually high temperatures, which could top 35C in some parts of the country on Sunday come at a price - poor air quality, which can result in serious health effects, particularly those in vulnerable groups.

Increased pressure brings with it pollutant particles, but the stagnant air means they are not swept away again, resulting in poorer air quality. 

SulNOx Group is working to help tackle the problem and improve air quality as data shows that half a million people have died from causes relating to air pollution over the past seven years.

Earlier this year, analysis from Asthma + Lung UK showed Britain had the worst death rate for lung conditions such as asthma in western Europe, with more than 100,000 people dying every year. 

The current heatwave sparked a meeting of the Government’s COBRA emergency committee this week and the Met Office has warned that extreme heatwaves are 30 times more likely than before the Industrial Revolution because of the higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 

Nawaz Haq, Executive Director of SulNOx Group, said: "Due to their size, fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, may enter the bloodstream and be transported around the body, reaching the lungs, heart, brain and other organs.”

Mr Haq warns that exposure to pollution can cause serious health issues, especially in vulnerable groups of people such as the young, elderly, and those with respiratory problems.

"I know that for many hotter temperatures are a cause for celebration but unfortunately, air pollution can become worse during periods of hot weather and affect those with heart/or lung problems

“Analysis shows that over seven years, half a million people have died from causes relating to air pollution, including asthma attacks, exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia. Hospital admissions for lung conditions have doubled in England and Wales from 1,535 per 100,000 in 1999 to 3,143 per 100,000 in 2019,” he said.

He added: “This is a public health crisis and needs a robust response.”

The warning comes as the Met Office has extended an Amber Extreme heat warning, as temperatures rise over the weekend and early next week, for much of the country.

London-based SulNOx Group specialises in providing responsible solutions towards decarbonisation of liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Its fuel additives reduce the production of harmful emissions, including fine particulate matter.