TRL has been commissioned to investigate and assess the health risks associated with the fires at Arnolds Field.

The project, issued by The London Borough of Havering, seeks to independently verify the pollution arising from the repeated fires.

Building on TRL’s proven experience of monitoring commercial and residential fires for local authorities and government agencies, this important project will focus on determining the airborne levels of potentially harmful pollutants arising from burning materials, these include PAH’s, PCB’s and Metals. The information gathered will be combined with results from other project partners to produce a clear and independent picture of the true air quality situation in the area.

“We are honoured to have been chosen to identify how to quantify the true situation,” says Charlie Harding, TRL’s Decarbonisation Services Lead. “As part of the contract, we will monitor ambient air between and during fires over a season, at multiple locations where residents are most likely to be affected by the smoke plume. Our measurements will be used to identify and quantify the precise products of combustion and in conjunction with existing NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 monitoring, produce a report, comprising of the monitoring results, c

onclusions as part of the public health recommendations,” he concludes.

Councillor Ray Morgon, Leader of Havering Council, said:

“We are happy to be working with TRL who will help us to better understand the type of toxins in the air and the level of risk posed to residents. “This in turn will help us to decide next steps including the options for further enforcement action against the owners of this private land.

“If necessary – we will also be calling on the Government and Mayor of London to step in.

“We appreciate this has been an ongoing issue for a number of years and we are committed to doing everything in our powers to find a solution for residents.”

(Picture – TRL)