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A greener London

Case study

A cleaner London

Tackling air pollution in the capital

All GCSE geography courses require an understanding of strategies aimed at making urban living more sustainable and improving quality of life in UK cities. This issue of WIDEWORLD features two case studies looking at ways in which London is striving to become more sustainable.

In cities, the main source of air pollution is motor vehicles

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Currently, an estimated 9,500 people die in London each year because of long-term exposure to air pollution. The main air pollutants causing problems in cities are nitrogen oxides (NOx), which includes both nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter (PM25). These pollutants are invisible but very harmful and are known to worsen illnesses such as asthma, lung and heart disease, particularly for children. A government advisory group has estimated that removing fine particulate matter from the atmosphere would increase life expectancy by an average of 6 months.

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Previous

Changes to the urban landscape

Next

A greener London