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The IFEH Magazine Environment & Health International Volume 25 No 1, April 2025Edition is now available HERE

Pollution Update Course, 21 May 2025

The forthcoming Pollution Update event will be again online, on the 21 May 2025.  The event will focus on a range of pollution topics and will offer updates and insights on contaminated land, noise and the new generation of sports activities, air quality legislation and equipment, and the role of the EHO in climate and health. 

Speakers range from specialist consultants, LA experts and Scottish Government. 

A detailed programme will be issued shortly but you can book now using the booking form link, Pollution Update 2025 Booking Form 

150 Year Environmental Health Forum

The 150 Year Environmental Health Forum will be held on Thursday 25 September 2025 at the Apex Grassmarket Hotel in Edinburgh which will then be followed by a special dinner to celebrate the 150-year milestone. 

For information and booking arrangements see REHIS 150th Anniversary Forum – REHIS 

Northern and Southern Centres

Both the Northern and Southern Centres have events happening in May and June.  For more information and booking forms please visit Events Archives – REHIS 

A farmer who starved his Highland cows during a drought has been fined.

David Cameron left the animals in a field at Broadleys Farm near Stirling without checking on them during an extended period of dry weather in the spring and summer of 2023.

An anonymous caller alerted the SSPCA, who passed the matter on to animal health and welfare officers at Stirling Council. The Officers found no supplementary feed in the field and established it had been some time since it had been provided.

Stirling Sheriff Court, heard that the Highland cattle had a body condition score of just one out of five – classing them as “emaciated” and the other three scored 1.5 on the same scale, meaning they were malnourished and “very lean”.

Prosecutor Lindsey Brooks said one of the cows that had just had her first calf had failed to develop udders due to her state of malnutrition.

Officers instructed staff at a nearby cattle mart to feed the animals, which were later successfully auctioned with the proceeds of sale going to the council, the court was told.

Cameron, 72, appeared for sentence after pleading guilty in March this year to causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

Cameron’s lawyer said he had been a farmer for more than 50 years and had never previously been involved in such an incident. He said Cameron still had 13 cattle and there were no issues or concerns in respect of them.

He said Cameron had been keeping the animals in a field before they were transported to Ireland, but that had been delayed.

Cameron said he had arranged for someone to give the cattle supplementary feed and silage, but that ceased between April and June 2023.

Cameron’s lawyer said: “It was perhaps ‘out of sight, out of mind’ from his point of view.”

He added: “There was exceptional weather at the time, which didn’t assist.”

At last month’s hearing, Cameron had been warned that “imprisonment was a possibility”.

However, on 23 April Sheriff William Gilchrist imposed a fine of £1040. He said it had been up to Cameron to see that the cattle received supplementary feeding.

He said: “It was his responsibility to ensure that was happening, and he failed in that responsibility”.

Sheriff Gilchrist said he would not make any order preventing Cameron from continuing to deal in cattle, given the number of years he had been involved without previous incident.

Following an investigation by Southwark Council and the Food Standard Agency’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), three men entered guilty pleas, and one man and his business entered not guilty pleas at proceedings at the Inner London Crown Court.

Three men, Mark Hooper, Azar Irshad, and Ali Afzal entered guilty pleas for their involvement in serious food crimes. The fourth defendant Anthony Fear, sole director of a business known as Fears Animal Byproducts, entered not guilty pleas for himself and on behalf of his business and elected to stand trial.  

The court heard evidence of a complex investigation that started when Southwark officers found 1.9 tonnes of Category 3 animal by products, which included whole and cut chickens, lamb’s testicles and beef burgers, in an illegal meat cutting plant in London and being processed for sale into the human food chain.

NFCU enquiries traced the animal by-products back to legitimate food business operators who confirmed these meat products had been sent to Fears Animal Byproducts in Somerset for manufacture into pet foods or for safe disposal. 
 
Once meat is classified as an animal by product, for food safety reasons it can never be placed back into the human food chain. Evidence of criminal conspiracy was then pieced together following analysis of large volumes of communications data and other evidence that demonstrated the criminal relationships between the four accused men.  
  
The trial lasted over 11 weeks. On 27 March 2025, the jury found both Fear and his business unanimously guilty of the offence of conspiracy to defraud by placing unfit food on the market.  
 
In closing remarks His Honour Judge Lucas praised the quality and professionalism of the investigation and formally commended the lead NFCU Investigator, Andrew Yeats, stating how impressed he had been with the quality of the investigation and the evidence provided by him.  

At earlier hearings on 13 January 2025: 

• Mark Hooper a manager at Fears Animal Byproducts pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud by placing unfit food on the market.  
• Azar Irshad pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, failure to comply with Regulation 19 Food Safety & Hygiene Regulations relating to Unapproved Premises, Placing Unfit Food on the Market (Smokies), Placing Unfit Food on the Market (Out of Date Beef Burgers) and Placing Unfit Food on the Market (Illegally Diverted ABP Cat 3).  
• Ali Afzal pleaded guilty to failure to comply with Reg 19 Food Safety & Hygiene Regulations relating to Unapproved Premises.  

“These five convictions have been secured following an extensive investigation led by the NFCU which required meticulous examination of large volumes of evidence. The NFCU worked closely with Southwark Council and other partners to enable this successful prosecution. It is anticipated that in due course the sentencing will reflect the serious nature of this offending and will act as a deterrent to other bad actors in the food chain.” 

Andrew Quinn, Head of NFCU

The first clinical trial to test whether adults allergic to peanuts can be desensitised has shown great success with two thirds of the cohort consuming the equivalent of four peanuts without reacting.

The Grown Up Peanut Immunotherapy (GUPI) trial is the first study entirely in adults with severe allergy to test whether daily doses of peanuts taken under strict supervision can be safely tolerated.

The approach, known as oral immunotherapy, has seen success in trials in infants and children worldwide. The findings of the first trial in an exclusive adult cohort has been published in the journal Allergy by a research team from King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit Programme.

Chief Investigator Professor Stephen Till, Professor of Allergy in the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, said: “Constant fear of life-threatening reactions place a huge burden on people with peanut allergy. The only way to manage a peanut allergy is strict avoidance and treatment of allergic reactions, including with adrenaline. Although peanut immunotherapy is known to be effective in children, this trial provides preliminary evidence that adults can also be desensitised and that this improves quality of life. The average tolerated dose of peanuts increased 100-fold over the course of the trial.”

The Phase II trial recruited twenty-one adults between 18 and 40 with a clinical diagnosis of peanut allergy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Allergy was confirmed via skin prick test, blood test and then an oral food challenge.

In a clinical setting, participants received the first dose of 0.8mg peanut flour mixed in with food, then 1.5 mg 30 minutes later followed by 3mg a further 30 minutes later.

Participants who tolerated 1.5mg or 3mg of peanut flour continued on a daily dose at home for 2 weeks. This is the equivalent of 0.5-1% of a whole peanut.

Then participants returned at 2-weekly intervals for supervised doses of more peanut protein, increasing from 6mg (around 1/40^th of a whole peanut) to 1g (four whole peanuts). If participants could tolerate 50-100mg of peanut protein, participants were switched to eating whole peanuts, peanut butter or peanut products, with the first dose being under supervision of the clinical team.

Once participants achieved a daily dose of 1g they remained on this dose for at least four weeks before undergoing a double‐blind placebo‐controlled food challenge. This involved being given increasing doses of either peanut or placebo (dummy) on separate days under close supervision to test their tolerance. Participants then continued daily dosing for at least three months before exiting the trial as well as the option of continuing post-study.

Results showed that 67% of participants were able to consume at least 1.4g peanut protein – the equivalent of five peanuts – without reacting. Participants of the trial then could consume peanuts every day at home to remain desensitised.

Professor Till said: “We are very pleased with the results. The efficacy rate is broadly in line with peanut oral immunotherapy trials in children. The next stage of the research will be confirming this in larger trials, and also identifying the group of adult patients who would most likely benefit from oral immunotherapy, and see whether it can lead to long-term tolerance in this age group.”

Lead author specialist Allergy Dietitian Hannah Hunter from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said: “Living with peanut allergy is a huge burden due to the need for constant vigilance and the risk of accidental exposures. Everyday situations such as eating in restaurants and social events are anxiety provoking and our patients tell us that the condition also affects travel choices and career options. We found that quality of life significantly improved after oral immunotherapy and fear of food also decreased. Many participants who completed the trial told us that the treatment had been life-changing and they were no longer living in fear.”

Chris Brookes-Smith, a 28 year old Cybersecurity Specialist from Northamptonshire, took part in the trial. He was diagnosed with a peanut allergy as a baby and jumped at the chance of taking part in the trial.

He added: “The trial was an interesting experience because all of my life I had associated the taste and smell of peanuts with fear and death. I started with a small amount of peanut flour with yoghurt and by the end of the trial I could eat four peanuts in one sitting. Now, I have four peanuts every day with my breakfast to maintain my immunity. Before, a tiny mistake could have life-threatening impacts but now I don’t have the fear that I might collapse and die from eating a takeaway.”

Public Health Minister, Ashley Dalton said: “This groundbreaking research offers hope to thousands living with peanut allergies. For too long, people have navigated daily life in fear of accidental exposure that could be life-threatening.

“I’m proud the UK is leading this vital work through NIHR funding. These results show how we’re transforming lives through science, potentially changing care standards for adults with peanut allergies worldwide.”

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said: ‘These results mark an important milestone in allergy treatment and offers new hope to adults living with peanut allergies. The NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Programme funds research that has a direct impact on improving patient outcomes. For adults who have long lived with the daily burden and fear of accidental exposure they may have a pathway toward greater safety and an improved quality of life.’

Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell has officially lodged his bill to ban greyhound racing in Scotland.

The bill has received crossparty support allowing it to progress to this stage, but it is yet to secure the support of the Scottish Government.

In April the Welsh Government announced that it would ban the cruel gambling-led entertainment “as soon as practically possible.”

According to the RSPCA, there are only 9 countries in the world that still allow commercial greyhound racing, including all 4 UK nations.

Data from 2023 showed that 109 greyhounds died trackside in the UK, an increase on the number for 2022. There were 4,238 injuries to greyhounds during racing in 2023.

Mr Ruskell said:

“This is a milestone moment for my bill and I am grateful to all of the MSPs and campaigners who have helped us to get to this stage.

“Greyhound racing is a cruel sport that causes a huge amount of harm to dogs. Far too many have been killed or badly injured on the tracks.

“There is no safe or humane way to force a group of dogs to run around an oval track at 40 mph and it is totally wrong to make them do it in the name of profit.

“With Wales taking action, Scotland is looking increasingly isolated in allowing this gambling-led spectacle to continue.

“I hope that the Scottish Government and MSPs from all parties will support me and that we can get my bill over the line and end greyhound racing for good.”

Scientists have studied the 2023 eruption of the Sundhnúkagígar volcano in Iceland and found that the sulphur dioxide it released seriously affected air quality up to 2,000km away in the arctic.

The team from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, used satellites equipped with high-resolution sensors that can detect trace gases more accurately than older technology. These hyperspectral satellites collect data in different light wavelengths, making it easier to identify and track air pollutants. By combining this satellite data with weather information and ground-based sensors, they could get a clearer picture of how the volcanic pollution spread through the atmosphere.

Iceland has over 130 volcanoes, with around 50 still active. One of them, the Sundhnúkagígar volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula, has erupted multiple times since 2023 and is still active. Ash from these eruptions can drift into the Arctic and contribute to ‘Arctic haze’ air pollution that forms under certain weather conditions.

The satellite data showed that the volcano released a large amount of SO₂ which was, in the first instance, carried to the south and east toward Scotland and Ireland, and then north into the Arctic. By August 26th the Arctic saw SO₂ levels spike to about 40 times the normal amount. Ground sensors also showed that the pollution reached up to 1 km above the surface.

It was found that even this far away, 80% of the sulphur dioxide pollution in Ny-Ålesund, a remote Arctic region, was caused by the eruption in Iceland. 

We have reported on such phenomena in the past. Last year Iceland’s  Sýlingarfell volcano pushed sulphur dioxide in Scotland to levels not seen since the 1970s.

In the latest research , the team say: ‘The products we demonstrated will serve as essential data sources for global volcano monitoring in the future. In the future, the multi-satellite fusion product is expected to achieve hourly resolution, which can accurately identify the diffusion of volcano gases.

‘Additionally, it is important to highlight that in the process of global warming, the continued activity of volcanoes in the permafrost regions will further exacerbate the melting of local glaciers and permafrost, thus breaking the gravitational balance of the overlying crust, leading to further intensification of volcanic activity. Therefore, multi-instrument, multi-scale, and high-resolution observations are essential to monitor the volcanic activity in these regions and valuate its impacts on regional and global climate, as well as the broader environment.’

New research by Which? suggests cooking on a gas hob can create more air pollution indoors than levels found on one of the UK’s busiest roads.

In order to see how everyday cooking activities affect levels of pollution in the average home, Which? conducted a snapshot investigation which looked specifically at Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

In November 2024, Which? gave air quality monitors to five volunteers – four with gas hobs and one with an induction hob– and asked them to carry out a variety of cooking scenarios in addition to their normal usage over the course of a week. All of them used extractor hoods. They were asked to keep windows and doors shut, aside from one test scenario where they fully ventilated the kitchen. 

Which? found that NO2 rose with the use of a gas hob and increased in line with the amount of time gas was used for or the number of gas rings used. In Which?’s slow cooking scenario (using one ring), all participants’ NO2 levels more than doubled. 

Once levels of NO2 had spiked, Which? found that they remained elevated for significant periods of time – often several hours – suggesting that people spending their evening in the same room where they have cooked (as with open-plan homes) could be exposed to sustained elevated levels well in excess of the WHO guidelines. Previous studies have highlighted the high levels of NO2 put out by gas hobs – a byproduct of burning natural gas. 

Using an induction hob removed the risk of NO2 from this source. The NO2 levels experienced by the volunteer in Which?’s study that used the induction hob were background levels (mainly from outdoor pollution).

Over the period that volunteers were testing, air pollution levels near the Which? office on London’s notoriously busy Marylebone Road, were as follows: average NO2 over an hourly mean for November 2024 was 33µg/ m³; average PM2.5 over a 24-hour mean for November 2024 was 14µg/m³

In Which?’s experiment, nearly all Which?’s volunteers using a hob experienced PM2.5 peaks of over 100µg/m³ on several occasions, and one volunteer experienced a peak PM2.5 of nearly 650µg/m³, (the WHO 24-hour mean guidance limit is 15), when frying Padron peppers; while another experienced nearly 600 when frying peppers and tomatoes. Two volunteers also had peaks of nearly 500 when cooking a fry-up. 

Overall, base levels before cooking varied from less than 1µg/m³ to no more than around 20µg/m³. Once they spiked, levels remained elevated for a long time. Which? experts averaged out the PM2.5 over a 24-hour period for the five days each person used the air-quality monitors. One household averaged over the WHO guidance limit for four days. Two other homes exceeded the limit for two days. 

For one of the cooking scenarios, Which? also asked people to move their monitors into an adjoining room, or into the living area if their house was open plan. Levels of both NO2 and PM2.5 still reached high peaks and elevated levels for some hours afterwards, showing that air pollution spreads through the home rapidly. 

Which? also asked all volunteers to fry food in oil for 10 minutes, but with all windows (and any external doors) open during frying and for 10 minutes afterwards. PM levels rose by far less than in all the other frying scenarios. The average peak reached by the five participants in this case was 27µg/m³, whereas the next lowest average for any of the frying scenarios Which? carried out was 100µg/m³. Crucially, PM levels returned much more quickly to those recorded before cooking with doors or windows open. In three out of five homes, PM levels fell back to pre-cooking levels within 45 minutes.

Which? also found awareness of indoor air pollution is low. In a survey of 2,002 UK adults about air pollution, only a quarter (25%) of those with gas hobs and one in five (18% ) with electric hobs said they were concerned about the possible impact on their health. But around a third (36%) of people were concerned about outdoor air pollution coming in through open windows.

Which?’s findings back up scientific studies on the subject, but there are still significant knowledge gaps around the impact of air pollution on the human body. It is difficult to attribute ill health to specific air pollutants as it is near impossible to isolate them (and their effects) from each other. Humans move constantly between different cocktails of chemicals from different sources – diesel engines, woodsmoke, cooking and cleaning products, to name a few. 

At the moment, scientists simply do not know if the effects of indoor and outdoor PM are the same but current WHO guidance limits are set on the basis that there are no safe levels of air pollution.

Funding for new police vans and training for officers and dog wardens has been agreed following a Responsible Dog Ownership Summit hosted by the Scottish Government.

Police Scotland has received £166,000 to train officers to identify banned breeds and buy specially-equipped vans to transport dangerous and out of control dogs. The National Dog Warden Association (NDWA) has received £30,000 to train wardens.

The actions were recommended in a report following the Responsible Dog Ownership Summit last September. The summit brought together Police Scotland, local authorities, veterinary bodies, public health and third sector organisations to consider improvements to dog control and public safety measures.

Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said:

“The vast majority of dog owners are responsible but it is important that the public are protected from any dogs who do pose a danger.

“This Scottish Government funding for Police Scotland and the National Dog Warden Association will improve public safety and the control of dangerous dogs. The NDWA training fund will support training for dog wardens who work in our communities to promote responsible dog ownership, advise on dog welfare and enforce legislation.

“I am grateful to those who took part in the Responsible Dog Ownership Summit and I look forward to continuing to work with partners to explore further steps to improve dog safety and control.”

Jim Ferguson, Chair of the National Dog Warden Association said:

“The National Dog Warden Association are proud partners of the Scottish Government and our organisation, which represents Scotland’s local authorities dog wardens, welcomed the Scottish Government Responsible Dog Ownership Summit report and recommendations.  Building on the summit, the NDWA is committed to working with the Scottish Government and other key partners to look at opportunities to review existing policy and pinpoint any opportunities to enhance and strengthen policy in order to better protect people and pets together.”

PHS Chair Vacancy

Scottish Ministers want to appoint a Chair to PHS. PHS is Scotland’s lead national agency for improving and protecting the health and wellbeing of all Scotland’s people, using the best data, intelligence and research.

Expertise in health and/or social care are not an essential criterion, and applications are invited from a wide range of people who have an interest in public service. Full information can be found here and the closing date for applications is Tuesday 15 May 2025.

If there are any difficulties accessing the SG website, please contact the Public Appointments Team on 0300 244 1898, by email at PA_Applications_Mailbox@gov.scot, or by writing to the Public Appointments Team, Scottish Government, Area 3F North, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ.

To mark our 150^th anniversary, we have launched a brand-new REHIS Instagram page – a space where we will celebrate history, share key updates, and connect more closely with our community.

This new platform is also a step towards enhancing engagement with our REHIS members, offering an accessible way to keep with news from the institute, events, and the broader Environmental Health profession.

Keep an eye out for:

• Event updates and highlights
• Moments from our 150^th celebrations
• Spotlights on members, training partners, and success stories
• Key news about Environmental and Public Health

We would love to see you there! Head over to Instagram and give us a follow @rehisscotland

Let’s grow our community and continue raising the profile of Environmental Health together.

#REHIS #150YearsofREHIS #EnvironmentalHealth #PublicHealth #Scotland #REHISOnInstagram

Early Bird Booking is now open for the REHIS 150th Anniversary Forum which is being held on Thursday 25th September 2025.

BOOK HERE!