Try two experiments
Experiment One
- Take beaker of air and seal tight.
- Measure the level of common air pollutants
- Increase the pressure in the beaker.
- Measure the level of pollutants
Experiment Two
- Assemble a circuit of air duct.
- Mount a fan in the duct.
- Ensure the duct is sealed
- Measure the level of common air pollutants in the duct
- Turn the fan on such that the air is moving
- Measure the level of pollutants
If, in the first experiment, the level of pollutants goes up with pressure, or if in the second the level goes down with velocity, then please let me know.
It may seem obvious to the reader that the levels will stay the same, but when reading news reports about air pollution levels, it is evidently not obvious to those doing the reporting.
The following examples highlight this lack of understanding
@MattMcgrathBBC gives us this article on London’s air pollution. (Note that the BBC is not usually concerned with events outside London).
In the article he has found some experts on the subject
Experts believe that the UK’s location on the western fringe of Europe is a major asset when it comes to eliminating air pollution, especially with particulate matter.
Albeit, this appears to be Mr McGrath’s own distortion of the following quote:
“We do better on PM than many of the other European cities,” said Dr Fuller.
“We sit on the edge and normally the winds blow off the Atlantic so when it comes to the fresh air we are first in line, but when the air gets to Poland it’s passed over many kilometres of pollution sources.”
I am no meteorologist but I suspect that the Atlantic winds do not “eliminate” air pollution and magic away the particulates.
Singling out the BBC’s environment correspondent is a bit harsh as the notion that the weather causes pollution is a deeply embedded one in the reporting community.
the cold, calm and settled conditions over the weekend caused a build-up of local emissions from traffic and wood burning, combined with pollution from the continent
Not only does the still weather here cause the build up of emissions, it also manages to move continental pollution to the UK at the same time. This article also includes helpful advice:
Where there is high air pollution, adults and children with lung problems and adults with heart problems, as well as older people, should reduce the amount of strenuous exercise they do.
i.e. Breathe less.
The St Albans and Harpenden Review
Cold, still weather leading to high air pollution levels across south west Herts
UK weather: Cold, still weather leads to high pollution levels across swathe of country
Even Friends of the Earth Campaigner Emilia Hanna @emilliajaneagain joins in
“Still, calm weather in England produced a build-up of traffic-derived air pollution, which is now travelling to Scotland.”
The Metro also added to the pseudo science with this advice
People with children aged between three months and five years are being ordered to stay inside as a result of the widespread toxic air
Stay inside, where presumably one keeps one’s own clean air supply, the air in the building evidently not coming from the city in which you live.
If the problem of air pollution is to be resolved, then it would be a start to consider producing pollution as a problem all the time, and not just when the evil weather, like a recalcitrant bin man refuses to take it away.
kam001