UK’s small jets one of largest sources of lead pollution

Bloomberg

Over 370,000 UK homes could be “at risk” from toxic pollution near airports which the government underestimated by 14,000 times, according to a University of Kent study.
The research suggests small piston-powered private planes which typically run on leaded fuel are one of the UK’s single largest sources of lead pollution, amounting to 11% of the total since 1998. That’s more than lead toxins emitted by all foundries, power stations, and lead dust created by car brake pads in towns and cities.
These piston-powered planes are typically used at airshows and by recreational pilots who fly them as a hobby. Lead is added to their fuel to increase engine power.
The findings contradict national statistics from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI), managed by environmental consultancy Ricardo Plc, which provides data to the government on greenhouse gases and air pollutants.
NAEI’s data says small private planes operating in the UK are responsible for just 0.0003% of lead air pollution, or 32 kilograms between 1998 and 2020. However, the Kent study found true number could be as high as 455 tonnes — about 14,219 times higher.
Elevated levels of lead in blood, caused by pollution, have been linked to early death in adults and cognitive decline in children. Leaded fuel for petrol-powered cars was banned in January 2000 after campaigners successfully lobbied against it in the 1980s, and as a result overall lead pollution in the UK has fallen from 529 tonnes in 1999 to 90 tonnes in 2020, according to NAEI data.
However, even low levels of exposure to the heavy metal are toxic, and it is still prevalent in the UK and around the world. UNICEF estimates that over 229,000 children in the UK and a third of all children worldwide have elevated blood lead levels.
A spokesperson for Ricardo, which compiles the data under an $10.8 million contract with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and for the Department for
Energy, Food & Rural Affairs,
acknowledged that lead air pollution data related to piston-powered aircraft on its website is wrong.
Lead is still added to the high-octane fuel that powers most piston-engine airplanes and some helicopters used by private pilots. Larger, jet-powered commercial aircraft use so-called “lead-free” fuel, although it still contains small amounts of the heavy metal.
In the US, studies have found that children living within 4 kilometers of airports have elevated levels of the toxic metal in their blood. Some airports have stopped supplying leaded aviation gasoline as a result.
Leaded fuel used by most
piston-powered planes is AVGAS100LL which has 0.56 grams of lead in each litre.