Blackthorn designs and supplies exhaust components including catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters, exhaust pipes and silencers. Our speciality is the reduction of toxic exhaust emissions in the following sectors:
This website aims to provide an overview of the air quality problems that engines can cause, and explain the choice of solutions currently available.
01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT
The January edition of King's monthly newsletter Air Mail is out now with all the latest news and research from the Environmental Research Group. If you would like to sign up to receive it straight to your inbox please email erg-airmail@kcl.ac.ukMore Information.....
31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT
Recent Pollution Episode: PM10, PM2.5 Late January 2012.....
30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT
Dr Gary Fuller was recently interviewed by BBC London for the popular Inside Out programme about pollution in London and the upcoming Olympics. Inside Out covers a range of topics affecting the city and this edition, presented by Matthew Wright, included a section on London’s air pollution. The programme looked at some of the Mayor’s recent policy interventions and also included interviews with Clean Air for London campaigner Simon Birkett, Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor’s Director of Environment and asthma sufferers in what was a wide-ranging and thoughtful piece on current air quality issues in London. The King’s College London Air iPhone app was also highlighted, with presenter Toby Anstis demonstrating some of its features. This exposure led to a dramatic increase in downloads of the app, such that Tuesday evening and Wednesday saw 2,690 users download and install the applicaiton. Further, of those new downloads, 538 users opted to receive notifications of pollution events on the LAQN network. The programme will be available on the BBC’s website until the 30th of January, and the air pollution section starts at 19 minutes. .....
25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT
A new study to further extend the evidence base as to whether emissions from modern well run Municipal Waste Incinerators affect human health has been approved by the Health Protection Agency. The HPAs current position that well run and regulated modern Municipal Waste Incinerators (MWIs) are not a significant risk to public health remains valid, but the study is being carried out to extend the evidence base and to provide further information to the public on this subject. The HPA will be funding the Small Area Health Statistics Unit, Imperial College London, and the Environmental Research Group, Kings College London, both part of the MRC-HPA Centre for Environment and Health, to carry out the study.For a distance of up to 10 15 kilometres from MWIs operating in the England and Wales, scientists will research whether there is a potential link between the emissions from MWIs and health outcomes, including: low birth weight, still births and infant deaths.Researchers will also investigate any possible link between MWI emissions and babies born with congenital anomalies, such as cleft palate and spina bifida, in areas where good quality data is available.HPA chief executive Justin McCracken said: "It is important to stress that our current position on the potential health effects of well run and regulated modern Municipal Waste Incinerators remains valid. This is that while it is not possible to rule out adverse health effects from modern, well regulated municipal waste incinerators with complete certainty, any potential damage to the health of those living close-by is likely to be very small, if detectable. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that modern and well managed municipal waste incinerators make only a very small contribution to local concentrations of air pollutants. "However, we recognise that there are public concerns about this issue and this study will provide valuable new evidence. .....
19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT
The Association of London Environmental Health Managers (ALEHM) reviewed the LAQN during autumn 2011. Stakeholders, including London boroughs, Kings, the Health Protection Agency, DEFRA and the GLA, presented at a meeting on 17 November 2011. Topics included the history and operation of the network, provision of public information, LAQN support to the Health Protection Agency during emergency incidents, and during the Olympics, and costs of network membership in relation to other monitoring site costs. The strategic value of the LAQN measurements at both London-wide and UK level was also highlighted in presentations from the DEFRA and the GLA. In their statement ALEHM concluded: The network provides high quality air pollution data and information to support borough level local air quality management and the Mayor's strategies, and also provides important public information on local air quality to Londoners. The network benefits from its valuable partnership with King's College London, which not only co-ordinates the LAQN, but also undertakes research that informs and shapes policy and strategy at local and regional levels and is recognised at a national and an international level. ALEHM members will continue to support and promote the LAQN, and ensure it achieves London-wide coverage wherever possible. ALEHM also called for greater partnership between the Mayor and the London Boroughs on the LAQN in the future, with long term financial commitment for the LAQN to support existing monitoring and to address the funding of additional sites in order to ensure that the network is able to provide appropriate coverage in the future.More Information.....
Source: BBC News
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