Leaded petrol still poisoning London’s air

By Neil Goalby2021-08-06T05:25:00

A black and white photo of a traffic jam in London in the 1970s

Source: © Roger Jackson/Valueline/Getty Images Plus

20 years after it was banned, leaded petrol remains a significant contributor to air pollution in the UK’s capital

Almost half of the lead polluting London’s air comes from leaded petrol that fuelled cars more than half a century ago, scientists from Imperial College London have found. Although leaded petrol was banned in 1999, the toxic metal has stuck around in dust and topsoil.

Use the accompanying summary slide and questions with your 14–16 students when discovering air pollution.

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