UKHSA conference opens abstract submission
The Air Quality and Public Health team at the UK Health Security Agency are pleased to announce the opening for abstraction submission at their two annual air quality events, to be held in person in Manchester. 2023 UKHSA Annual UK Research Review Meeting on Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution Research – Tuesday 5 December – Chamber Space,Manchester- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2023-ukhsa-annual-outdoor-and-indoor-air-pollution-research-review-meeting-tickets-667419207817 Since the mid-1990s, the Annual UK Review Meeting on Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution Research has been the main national meeting of the UK’s experts in the field of air pollution and health research and policy makers. The meeting will bring together academics, government scientists, policy makers, and others to present and discuss the latest research findings. 2023 UKHSA Air Quality and Public Health Stakeholder Seminar – Wednesday 6 December – Chamber Space, Manchester- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2023-ukhsa-air-quality-and-public-health-stakeholder-meeting-tickets-667621512917 The annual UKHSA Air Quality and Public Health Stakeholder Seminar, is held to inform wider stakeholders of developments, giving them the opportunity to contribute to and comment on future work…
Events through Autumn 2023
There are a number of exciting events associated with indoor and outdoor air, public health and building design in the coming months! We’ve provided a round up for the next few months so you don’t miss a any opportunities to share knowledge and connect with the community. If there’s anything we’ve missed, then email contact@breathingcity.org and we’ll add it to the list! Date Event Location 20.09.2023 Geneva Health Forum and WHO Europe Indoor Air Conference Online / Bern 04.10.2023 Environmental Policy: From Evidence to Impact.A Global Environmental Measurement and Monitoring Centre Summitand Glasgow Environmental Monitoring of Indoor and Outdoor Air (GEMINOA) Project Launch Scotland: Glasgow 10.10.2023 Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) Routes to Clean Air England: Manchester 08.11.2023 National Air Quality Conference England: London 08.11.2023 World Ventil8 Day Varied 15-16.11.2023 UKHSA Conference England: Leeds 05.12.2023 UKHSA Annual Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution Research Review Meeting England: Manchester 06.12.2023 UKHSA…
Indoor Air Quality Observatory Stakeholder Engagement Workshop
On 12 May 2023, the Future Urban Ventilation Network (FUVN) and the Tackling Air Pollution At School Network (TAPAS) held an online facilitated workshop (hosted by The Collective) with key stakeholders to discuss the viability of a UK Indoor Air Quality Observatory. Key stakeholders were invited from across public policy, academia, funding bodies, and professional institutions. The workshop followed on from previous meetings, which took place in Paris, April 2022, and London, October 2022. Background It is well recognised that air quality has a substantial impact on human health. The ability to relate outdoor air quality data to health outcomes has been achieved through the significant investment in a national (and indeed worldwide) network of air quality sensors combined with models and analysis to evaluate spatial and temporal variation in air quality. However, people spend around 90% of their time indoors, so the majority of air breathed is inside homes…
Health Effects of Building Ventilation Workshop
On Monday July 17 2023 our theme 2 leads, Henry Burridge and Abigail Hathway, hosted a workshop titled ‘Health Effects of Building Ventilation’ in Westminster, London. The workshop brought together building and ventilation engineers, epidemiologists, clinicians, toxicologists, public health professionals and built environment experts to identify and develop ideas and solutions that will make a difference to indoor air quality and health outcomes. Professor Sir Stephen Holgate set the scene for the workshop highlighting the wide variety of expertise and skills in the air quality community, celebrating the involvement of young people, early career researchers and professionals in the air quality movement. The air quality community is embracing the challenge ensuring climate factors feed into holistic solutions, as well as the consideration of vulnerable groups and equality. To further set the scene, the participants were asked “what’s new in the indoor air and ventilation world?“. It was widely agreed that indoor…
Government inquiry into heat resilience and sustainable cooling – including ventilation
The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking a short inquiry into Heat resilience and sustainable cooling. It will look at the relationship between heat and health; examine the adequacy of current Government policies in relation to current and future need for cooling; and consider what measures could be taken to increase adaptation and resilience to rising temperatures. It is seeking written evidence to inform its inquiry and will hold an oral evidence session in order to form an initial view of the issues. The health impacts of higher temperatures are being realised, particularly in urban areas. The increased use of air conditioning is putting pressure on electricity demand, leading to higher energy consumption, higher CO2 emissions, and higher use of refrigerant gases with global warming potentials much higher than CO2. Together, this is expected to increase temperatures yet further. There are less energy-intensive alternatives to AC use; for example, passive and low-energy…
First WHO Europe Indoor Air Conference
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of ventilation to mitigate the transmission of respiratory disease.On 20th September, in Bern Switzerland, and online, The World Health Organisation are hosting a conference to bring together the best experts of indoor air pollution. Objective The conference will make a case for why we need to monitor and improve indoor air in public buildings, including: Speakers include Breathing City lead, Catherine Noakes, David Vernez, Pawel Wargocki, Corinne Mandin, Hossein Gorji, Antoine Flahault, Hans Kluge, Roger Waeber, Jelle Laverge, Claude-Alain Roulet, Kimberly Prather, Kamran Abbasi, Martin Bäumle, Esther Friedli, and Gabriela Suter
Clean Air Networks meet for the first time in Birmingham
On 5-6 July over 200 air quality researchers, policy makers, industry partners and civic sector groups who work across the atmospheric, health, social and building science disciplines met at the University of Birmingham. The 2023 Clean Air Networks Conference hosted by seven networks funded under the UK Clean Air Strategic Priority Fund, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Air Quality Network and the UKRI Clean Air Champions. Over the two days, delegates exchanged findings from the networks’ wide-ranging activities and cross-cutting themes, and identified the next steps for both indoor and outdoor air quality research and policy. In addition to the fascinating talks and fruitful guided discussions, there were plenty of opportunities for networking ensuring existing connections were strengthened and exciting new links were formed! After a warm welcome to the University from Professor Adam Tickell, Vice Chancellor at the University of Birmingham, Professor Roy Harrison opened the conference…
Partner event highlight: RECLAIM Network Plus
11 September 2023, 10am – 4pm RECLAIM Network Plus are hosting a conference taking place at the University of Surrey. The event will provide an opportunity to network with city officials, people from business and industry, NGO’s and academics from right across the globe who have a passion for making communities greener, more resilient and prosperous. It will also showcase research undertaken so far across the network. Please visit the event website to view the exciting agenda for the day. RECLAIM (Reclaiming Forgotten Cities – Turning cities from vulnerable spaces to healthy spaces for people) is a £1.2m EPSRC-funded Network Plus grant. It is led by the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) in collaboration with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Universities of Bath, Bangor and Warwick. RECLAIM Network Plus is a ‘one-stop-shop’ for towns and cities to find the information and support you need…
EAC inquiry on air quality: written evidence published
The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking a short inquiry to establish the adequacy of current measures to promote indoor and outdoor air quality, and assess whether air quality targets are sufficient for protecting public health and the environment. 71 pieces of written evidence have been submitted and published. The Future Urban Ventilation Network, as well as our partner networks in the NERC-funded Clean Air Strategic Priorities Fund, submitted written evidence, along with other partners and stakeholders. You can see the full list of submitted written evidence here. Multiple submissions highlighted the need for more indoor air quality monitoring, and discussed the importance of a whole-systems approach which brings together air quality scientists, health experts and the built environment sector. Oral evidence is currently being gathered. You can see the latest list of oral evidence transcripts here. The Environmental Audit Committee’s remit is to consider the extent to which the policies…
Research briefing being prepared on indoor air quality
The Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST) is working on a new POSTnote on indoor air quality. Indoor air quality can be affected by a range of factors, including infiltrations from outdoor pollution, and emissions from combustion appliances (such as stoves) and consumer products. Pollutants are often more concentrated indoors, due to reduced circulation, and exacerbated by mould and damp. Poor indoor air quality can have adverse effects on health, such as increased risk of heart disease, stroke and respiratory infections. This briefing will identify contributors to improved and compromised indoor air quality, and subsequent effects on health. The note will identify groups that are at increased risk of ill-health due to indoor air quality and outline wider impacts on the NHS. It will review existing guidelines for indoor air quality, with reference to potential gaps in evidence and legislation. POST produces impartial, non-partisan, and peer-reviewed briefings, designed to…