- Transport for London (TfL) commissions pollution study across eight lines
London Underground’s Northern Line has the highest levels of ‘respirable dust’, but other stations are also contaminated with ‘respirable metals’.
Transport for London (TfL) commissioned a study across eight lines to examine pollution levels.
The routes studied are Victoria, Piccadilly, Central, Northern, Jubilee, Bakerloo, Circle and District.
Consistently “increased particulate matter concentrations” were reported.
However, the amount of “respirable dust”, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and suspended solids that enter the nose and mouth when breathing, did not violate legal limits.
“All recorded concentrations were below half the limit for dust of any composition to be considered hazardous to health,” the report said.
The Northern line had the highest average value, followed by the Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines.
However, the highest single reading was on a District Line train at Barking.
The lines with the lowest average respirable dust concentrations were the Jubilee, Circle/Hammersmith, City and District lines.
Another study last year looked at pollution levels, including “respirable metals”, in some London Underground stations.
These include aluminum, arsenic, copper, iron oxide, etc.
The main metal present in the study of respirable dust is iron, which is most likely derived from steel from railway environments, according to the report.
The highest levels of respirable aluminum were found in Vauxhall and Holborn.
Mile End and Oxford Circus had the highest levels of respirable copper, while the northbound Northern Line platform at King’s Cross had the highest iron oxide levels.
This was followed by Hampstead, also on the North Line.
However, all recorded respirable arsenic concentrations were “below the detection limits of the technology used.”
The levels of respirable metals detected were all “less than half of the relevant workplace exposure limits, and most were less than one-tenth of the relevant workplace exposure limits.”
The metro station report concluded that the top 10 respirable dust concentrations were lower in 2023 compared to the results obtained in 2020.
Lily Matson, TfL’s chief safety, health and environment officer, said: “We are pleased to see the continued downward trend in dust levels in tubes since 2019.
“And as we continue to work, this positive result shows that our approach to understanding and tackling the dust and air quality issues on the Tube network is improving our colleagues and our customers. It shows that we are bringing about changes in both.”
“This result, together with previous monitoring, shows that dust levels continue to be well below the occupational health limits set by health and safety officials, and that most of our network remains well below the occupational health limits recommended by the Institute of Occupational Medicine. It confirms that it is below the recommended limit.This limit has been set significantly lower than. ‘