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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 15 May 2002, Official Report, column 678W, on air pollutants, what plans he has to make and assess measurements of concentrations of aldehydes in the air in localised environments; and if he will make a statement. [61527] Mr. Meacher: I have been asked to reply. An assessment of ambient formaldehyde concentrations was carried out by the former Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions in January to March 2000 to help inform the deliberations of the Department of Health's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants. Formaldehyde was assessed as a marker for aldehydes. Monitoring sites were located at Teddington, London Marylebone Road, Southampton, Rochester, an industrial site near Hull and a coal burning site near Rotherham. Short-term concentrations (measured over 4 to 7 days) at all locations were low in comparison with concentrations that have been shown to produce irritation (see Table). Thresholds for sensory irritation in the majority of subjects are reported as 0.6-1.2 milligrams per cubic metre for formaldehyde and the World Health Organisation guideline is 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre. The highest concentrations were observed at the traffic dominated site at London Marylebone Road and the industrial site at Hull. No indoor measurements were taken. My Department does not have plans for further measurements of aldehydes. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Location and site type Mean formaldehyde concentration (micrograms per cubic metre{ 1}) Minimum and maximum concentrations in parentheses Teddington (suburban) 3.2 (0.25-9.1) London Marylebone Road (kerbside) 13.4 (2-33.6) Southampton (urban background) 2.3 (0.1-20.9) Rochester (rural) 1.2 (0.2-4.0) Hull (industrial) 4.4 (0.15-45.0) Rotherham (coal burning area) 0.6 (0.1-2.5) _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} One microgram per cubic metre is one thousandth of a milligram per cubic metre.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

61527; 388 c291-2W;388 c291W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Air pollution Health hazards Monitoring Pollutants Aldehydes

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk