A recent study has revealed that people in Hull are now 21 times more likely to die from air pollution than in a car accident.
In just a single year, Hull has recorded an astonishing 128 deaths related to air quality and has been named the worst culprit for air pollution deaths in the region.
While there any many different factors that contribute to poor air quality, it’s believed that Hull’s traffic congestion is a significant factor. However, there are also factors which are often overlooked, such as the use of fireworks on public holidays, which results in a huge peak in air pollution.
Testing air quality with smart sensors
Previously, Connexin installed Smart Air Quality sensors around the city in order to get a better insight into Hull’s air and why it’s so bad. Nick Wells, our Senior Project Manager, said:
“The smart sensors we have put up are outside the hospital, down the Stoneferry Corridor, the A63 Castle Street, and Preston Road. We are using these because we have seen a number of recent studies that have proved a correlation between the poor air that we breathe and health issues, including asthma and lung disease.
"Particularly on the A63, we have found an increase in poor air, and there is a direct correlation around rush hour and the quality of the air. Between 4pm and 6pm the quality of the air around Hull’s busiest road decreases significantly.
“We know that when the air in Hull is bad, admissions to Hull’s A&E department increase, so with our smart city project we can start to do some good things with that data. We can alert the public when the air is going to be bad. For example, we can let people with asthma know the day’s air quality is poor so that they take out their inhaler.”
A proactive approach to air pollution
Our Smart Environment technology is enabling a proactive approach to air pollution monitoring so we can best protect the health of the most vulnerable members of society, including children, the elderly, and those with severe health issues.
Discover more about Connexin’s Smart Cities solutions.
For further information, please contact Katie Muir on [email protected] or 01482 363738.