Traffic pollution in densely urbanised areas

To those concerned about the level of pollution in Malta, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s regular slot in The Times of January 3, Air: Particulate Matter Concentrations, delivers too rosy a view of traffic pollution to readers.

The point that is missed is this: Owing to Malta’s heavy traffic in densely urbanised areas, toxic fine particulate (PM10) levels measured at Msida are not necessarily indicative of particulate levels in traffic-congested streets in densely populated areas such as Ħamrun, Fgura or Sliema. In many such areas the severity of street pollution hardly needs monitoring because sooty vehicle exhaust fumes can be smelled most of the time, suggesting that particulate pollution must be sky high.

The bottom line is simply that extrapolations based on observations in Msida and Żejtun are misleading because they are not representative of the unique conditions in Malta. EU directives state that sampling points should include data from agglomerations where the highest concentrations of pollutants are expected to occur, and to which the population is likely to be exposed for significant periods. There are plenty such sites which are not monitored, in, say, Ħamrun, Birkirkara Fgura or St Julians, which probably conform more to these two criteria (especially the second) rather than Msida, even though the latter is a traffic hub.

Thus monitoring at just one site does not reflect the situation faced by many people who live in traffic-congested streets in densely built-up areas of our small islands and this is the important reality to be addressed. The pivotal point is that, even though particulates are known to disperse widely, there is now scientific evidence that residence in roads with heavy traffic carries greatly increased susceptibility to lung disease, heart disease and cancer. Children develop impaired lung function and become more prone to asthma attacks. The supporting evidence for this is cited in a report (paras 966 -876) which can be downloaded from www.tppi.org.mt/cms/reports/Low-Carbon-Society/Report.pdf.

There are also residential streets which are particularly heavily polluted as a result of a combination of bad road planning and excess property development. Bad road planning in many places has resulted in narrow residential streets becoming major transit points which carry large volumes of traffic. This traffic creates thick pollution to which both pedestrians and residents are exposed. The levels of suspended fine particulates (not to mention other dangerous pollutants such as benzene) in this entire area must be stupendously raised for much of the time.

Another matter which is not addressed is the emission of visible smoke by old, diesel vehicles. Even though our smoke-emitting buses no longer circulate, the situation has not improved much in respect of heavy goods and delivery vehicles and a good number of diesel-driven private cars.

These continue to break the law with impunity in residential streets by emitting black smoke even in the presence of both police and wardens. This sort of heavy pollution occurring at street level is the relevant issue which is not detected by the air monitoring station at Msida.

The positive tone of such published statements issued by Mepa suggests that, rather than approaching the severe pollution in our densely built-up areas in a realistic manner, Mepa is more intent on providing a feedback of falsely feel-good reassurance to the public and the EU.