The pollutants we used to worry about
At the start of the 20th century, power stations and factories were the main source of pollution.
In the 1950's London experienced the 'pea-souper' smogs that caused thousands of deaths. The smogs were caused by smoke and sulphur dioxide given off when coal was burnt in power stations and homes.
New laws introduced aim to clean up the air from pollutants. Since the introduction of these laws, a dramatic drop in smoke and sulphur dioxide levels has been noted.
Today industry is only responsible for a small amount of air pollution in Hounslow.
The pollutants of concern today
Today vehicle exhausts account for over two thirds of Hounslow’s air pollution problem.
Pollutants given off from car exhausts including carbon monoxide, benzene, nitrogen dioxide and particulates (microscopic specks of dust and soot) are the major concerns today. These pollutants are may be produced when the car engine is not working efficiently.
Carbon monoxide is produced when an engine does not burn fuel efficiently because there is not enough air in the mixture. Benzene is a component of fuel and often ends up in exhaust gases.