International road transport emissions and urban air quality expert Dr James Tate from the University of Leeds hosted the third of six working party launches for the Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality on 13th August as he kicked off the inaugural session of the Research Working Party.
Joining Dr Tate at the launch meeting were representatives from industry and academia including AirSafe, SKIPS Education, Thomas Group, CAVT, and Dennis Eagle. The aim was to establish research goals and objectives for the Working Party and to determine the Commission’s priorities.
‘By identifying the particular topics to research and build up knowledge, we can make a difference in Parliament, and communicate clear and compelling evidence to the public and city authorities,’ said Dr Tate.
The discussion ranged from traffic management, the shape of buildings and their influence on air quality, to the changes required to fill in missing emission data. AirSafe’s Dr Sophie Duggan suggested that these should include an expansion to MOT testing to include passenger cabin air quality testing, explaining that her research has identified harmful levels of exhaust gases inside vehicles. ‘Carbon monoxide, in particular, can cause serious ill-health even at low concentrations, and it has a half-life within the body of four to six hours.’
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