London, UK has already exceeded pollution limits for 2016
File photo courtesy: Flickr/Kris Krug
Digital Reporter
Thursday, January 14, 2016, 5:13 PM - London has exceeded its pollution limit for 2016 in just eight days, according to a new report.
The limit, set by the European Union, demands that maximum hourly nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations are not exceeded for more than 18 hours a year.
By January 8, Putney High Street in west London had recorded its 19th hour, according to the London Air Quality Network.
This isn't the first time London has breached its annual pollution limits this early in the year: In 2015, Oxford Street -- a bustling shopping district -- exceeded its annual allotment in just two days.
Diesel exhaust fumes are the largest contributor to excessive NO2 concentrations in London.
Prolonged exposure to air pollution has been linked to several health issues. In 2013 the World Health Organization officially declared air pollution to be a carcinogen, arguing the more people are exposed to damaging air particulates, the higher their risk of developing lung and bladder cancers.
"Put simply, diesel exhaust is the biggest public health catastrophe [in London] since the Black Death," Simon Birkett, founder and director of campaign group Clean Air in London, told reporters.
Sources: Policy Exchange | Flickr
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