Outdoor air pollution a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths

A recent report from a World Health Organisation agency, the International Agency for Cancer Research has found that sufficient exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer. It points to research that shows that in 2010, 223,000 deaths were attributable to lung cancer caused by air pollution. While air pollution has been linked for some time to respiratory and heart diseases, the link to cancer indicates increased levels of risk. The agency identifies primary sources of outdoor air pollution as being from transportation, stationary power generation, industrial and agricultural emissions and residential heating and cooling.

There are number of implications for buildings of this report. These include:

•  Heating and cooling of residential buildings: There should be a strong focus on passive design in residential environments. In particular, solutions should be found to ensure that the burning of coal and other fuels in and around houses for heating is avoided. Where fuel is burnt it should be burnt in a way that avoids risk of diseases. 
• Transportation: There should be stronger requirements to separate vehicular environments from environments where people live and work. In particular, workplaces and residential areas that are beside highways and roads with large volumes of traffic should be evaluated. Measures to reduce vehicular pollution should be taken such as reducing congestion, using more efficient vehicles with, for instance, start-stop technology and electric vehicles and improving provision for public transport, walking and cycling.
• Stationary power generation: There should be increased awareness about the risk associated with pollution from local petrol or diesel powered generators and stand-by generators. Where possible these should be avoided and renewable energy systems used.     
• Guidelines: These findings should be reflected in guidance documents including the WHO Guidelines on Indoor Air Quality shown above. In particular it needs to be translated into practical measures that can be taken by Planners and Designers in urban areas and Architects in buildings. 

Indoor Environment Quality Monitoring and Reporting

Managing indoor environmental quality in buildings requires effective monitoring and reporting processes. These should  have the following characteristics:

• Key aspects of indoor environmental quality should be tracked
• Indoor environmental quality  so that it can be compared with benchmarks and with other similar buildings.
• Indoor environmental quality figures should be tracked and presented for a full year
• Indoor environmental quality figures for the previous year, as well as the current year, should be presented in order to ascertain whether there are improvements. 
• Reports should be presented in a simple format so that senior managers and non-technical staff can easily understand these. 

Gauge has developed a system that achieves the above characteristics and is easy to use. The reporting system is available to subscribers and be accessed here. It also supports reporting on energy and water consumption and waste generation and recycling.

Transport Impact Monitoring and Reporting

Managing transport impacts related to buildings requires effective monitoring and reporting processes. This should  have the following characteristics:

• Transport impacts should be tracked
• Different forms of transport use should be tracked 
• Transport impacts should be normalised so that it can be compared with benchmarks and with other similar buildings.
• Transport impact figures should be tracked and presented for a full year
• Transport patterns for the previous year, as well as the current year, should be presented in order to ascertain whether there are improvements. 
• Reports should be presented in a simple format so that senior managers and non-technical staff can easily understand these. 

Gauge has developed a system that achieves the above characteristics and is easy to use. The reporting system is available to subscribers and be accessed here. It also supports reporting on energy and water consumption, waste generation and recycling and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). 

Energy Consumption and Demand Reporting

Managing energy in buildings requires effective monitoring and reporting processes. This should  have the following characteristics:

• Energy consumption should be tracked
• Maximum demand should be tracked
• Energy consumption should be normalised so that it can be compared with benchmarks such as those in SANS 204.
• Energy demand and consumption figures should be tracked and presented for a full year
• Energy demand and consumption patterns for the previous year, as well as the current year, should be presented in order to ascertain whether there are improvements. 
• Reports should be presented in a simple format so that senior managers and non-technical staff can easily understand these. 

Gauge has developed a system that achieves the above characteristics and is easy to use. The reporting system is available to subscribers and be accessed here. It also supports reporting on water consumption, waste generation and recycling, travel impacts and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). 

Water Consumption Monitoring and Reporting

Managing water consumption in buildings requires effective monitoring and reporting processes. This should have the following characteristics:

• Water consumption should be tracked
• Water consumption should be normalised so that it can be compared with benchmarks and other buildings of a similar type and in the similar climatic regions.
• Water consumption figures should be tracked and presented for a full year
• Water consumption patterns for the previous year as well as the current year should be presented in order to ascertain whether there are improvements. 
• Reports should be presented in a simple format so that senior managers and non-technical staff can easily understand these. 

Gauge has developed a system that achieves the above characteristics and is easy to use. The reporting system is available to subscribers and be accessed here. It also supports reporting on energy consumption, waste generation and recycling, travel impacts and indoor environmental quality (IEQ).

Waste and Recycling Monitoring and Reporting

Managing waste and recycling in buildings requires effective monitoring and reporting processes. This should have the following characteristics:

• Waste generation should be tracked
• Waste recycling should be tracked
• Water generation and recycling should be normalised so that it can be compared with benchmarks and other buildings of a similar type.
• Water generation and recycling figures should be tracked and presented for a full year
• Water generation and recycling patterns for the previous year as well as the current year should be presented in order to ascertain whether there are improvements. 
• Reports should be presented in a simple format so that senior managers and non-technical staff can easily understand these. 

Gauge has developed a system that achieves the above characteristics and is easy to use. The reporting system is available to subscribers and be accessed here. It also supports reporting on energy consumption, water consumption, travel impacts and indoor environmental quality (IEQ).