Londoners impacted by construction dust, research shows

New research from Urban Impact Agency Urban Thinking shows that 66% of people living in the capital say they have been impacted at least once in the last year, with 8% saying they were impacted weekly or more.

Inhaling construction dust can be hazardous to your health, including significantly raising the risk of diseases such as lung cancer, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Light pollution can contribute to poor mental health, raising the likelihood of developing anxiety, stress or sleeping disorders – and can even increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.

Dusan Durdevic, senior manager at Urban Thinking said, “Construction dust can cause a long list of conditions and diseases, as it can contain various harmful substances.

“Dust pollution is a risk to staff on site, and they deserve to work without risking their health, as do residents living nearby.

“Light pollution is viewed as something that simply ruins our view of the night sky, but recent research has shown that it can negatively impact people’s mental health.

“It is paramount that developers and construction companies work to limit the dust and light their projects create to keep staff and those living nearby safe from harm.”

Offering specialist expertise to developers and large infrastructure projects, Urban Thinking maps and monitors a project’s dust and light pollution, devising solutions to ensure all guidelines and best practices are observed, minimising the health concerns and discomfort caused.

Mr Durdevic said: “Infrastructure and construction projects are crucial to a city or town to meet their needs long into the future, but should not negatively impact those working on site or the surrounding communities.

“With careful analysis, planning and preparation, environmental risks such as dust, light and noise can be effectively mitigated so a project can go ahead with limited disruption to all stakeholders.”

For more information, visit www.urbanthinking.com/environmental-impact