Prior to the late 1960's, domestic burning of coal in the towns and cities was an important contributor to the dense winter fogs, also known as smogs. The effects of these smogs on human health became evident. This led to the introduction of the first Clean Air Act to control the burning of smoky fuels. The air in our towns and cities improved and smogs became a thing of the past. For a long time it was believed that the problem of urban air pollution was solved. However, two factors have combined to make it necessary to reconsider this opinion. First, the increase in traffic in our cities has drawn attention to a different and significant source of pollution. Secondly, recent studies have shown that modern urban air pollution may still be causing effects on health, particularly to the young, elderly or those suffering from respiratory conditions such as asthma.
As a result of these concerns the Government convened an expert panel on air pollution that considered all the available evidence and then recommended standards for a number of atmospheric pollutants. The City of Edinburgh Council has reviewed and assessed air quality in our area for each of these pollutants. These assessments show that the standard for a pollutant is not likely to be achieved by 2005 so the Council has declared an air quality management area. For this area an action plan has been prepared.