Does London Need Air-Tight Housing?

It’s no secret that there is a pollution crisis in London. With smog being compared to the likes of Beijing and Delhi, the British capital is seeing new measures introduced to try and tackle the problem – or at least protect its residents. London mayor Sadiq Khan has introduced air pollution warnings across the city’s public transport network, but experts say tighter measures are a necessity.

Air-tight measures

So what do the experts suggest? One solution is air tight housing. With many parts of London exceeding EU limits on air pollution, there is a clear danger to people constantly exposed to the air. Pollutants like nitrogen dioxide – of which London has some of the highest levels in the world – can decrease lung function and cause serious respiratory diseases.

By sealing off houses, experts suggest residents will be protected from a huge proportion of these toxic gases. Non-opening windows and air-tight doors are part of the proposed whole-house sealing. And air filters, removing around 90 percent of pollutants from the air, would be fitted on homes to allow ventilation.

Essential protection

But how many homes would require the system? Clean Air London’s Simon Birkett suggests the measures should be obligatory for all new builds. “It’s essential we start protecting people from fumes. We have to seal up buildings because we really have no choice,” he told the Evening Standard. “If you live in a polluted spot in London there is no other way to protect people inside while we try to clean up the pollution at its source.”

After seeing the problem grow for so many years, however, many are suggesting the solutions are long overdue. “The UK indoor environments group have been calling for this for a long time,” said Clive Shrubsole, indoor pollution researcher at UCL. “We need to put health at the core of all our housing policies because healthy business and living environments are good for business in the long term because they increase productivity.”

Regulating emissions

While protecting residents is one part of the solution, we also need plans to cut emissions for a more long-term fix. Industrial emissions are accountable for a large proportion of the problem, and new regulations – as discussed in ‘One Directive to Rule them All’ – are the first step in reducing them. In 2013, Europe’s new Directive on Industrial Emissions was implemented in British law – aiming to simplify emissions standards by bringing together 7 previously existing directives.