Air Pollution - what it means for your health
WHAT INFORMATION DOES THE SERVICE PROVIDE?
The
service is available through TV Teletext pages, freephone and the internet.
The teletext and freephone services provide all the basic information,
while there is more detail on the internet.
The service reports levels of the five main air pollutants that can cause immediate health effects, against a numerical index as:
- 1-3 (low)
- 4-6 (moderate)
- 7-9 (high)
- 10 (very high)
The descriptions are based on the latest medical and scientific research. They are available on:
|
Teletext: pages 155 and 169 |
|
Freephone: 0800 55 66 77 |
|
Internet: www.airquality.co.uk |
(also see How does the air pollution banding system work? below):
TV Teletext: pages 155 and 169
The information is in three categories:
- regional forecasts for the next 24 hours (p. 155);
- air pollution and health advice (p. 169); and
- Alert messages when air pollution is high (p. 155).
Up to date levels of air pollution are given for three types of area:
- in towns and cities nearer busy roads;
- elsewhere in towns and cities; and
- in rural areas.
Freephone 0800 55 66 77:
- available 24 hours a day;
- fast-track service for frequent callers to access their region's forecasts quicker;
- three types of area as those on teletext; and
- more detailed information, particularly on health effects.
Internet
National Air Quality Information Archive www.airquality.co.uk
- same information as teletext and freephone;
- a free daily email service is also provided on levels and forecasts of air pollution
The Archive also has:
- a comprehensive range of new and historic air pollution information;
- data on the concentrations of a large number of individual pollutants, measured on an hourly or longer basis at over 110 automatic and over 1,100 non-automatic monitoring sites around the UK;
Who might want to use the service?
- people with heart conditions or lung diseases, including asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.
- people whose breathing gets worse when air pollution increases.
- people who want to know more about air pollution levels and who want to help reduce it.
Page (HTML version) published 17 November 2002;
Page last modified
3 November, 2006