Table 3.
Details of the datasets acquired and ward-level measures derived for the key environmental factors.
| Key factor | Specific aspect | Data source | Ward-level measure derived |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution | Particulate matter (PM10) Ozone (O3) Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Sulphur dioxide (SO2) Carbon monoxide (CO) |
AEA Technology (1 km grids, annual average concentrations, modelled from National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) data, 1999-2006) | Population-weighted average of each pollutant (averaged 1999 to 2003 for all except CO: 2001 to 2006) |
| Climate | Average temperature Cooling degree-days1 Heating degree-days2 Winter coldwave duration3 Summer heatwave duration4 |
Meteorological Office UK Climate Impact Programme data (5 km grids, 1996-2003) | Population-weighted average of each climate variable (averaged 1999 to 2003, except for coldwaves and heatwaves: 1996-2000) |
| UV radiation | - | UVB Index [57] calculated using Meteorological Office monthly cloud cover data (1 km grid, 1991-2000) and latitude | Population-weighted average UVBI (1991 - 2000) |
| Industrial facilities | Waste management sites Metal production/processing sites |
European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER) (grid references, 2001-2002) | Proportion of population living within 4 km of waste site or 1.6 km of metal site (2001 - 2002) |
| Green space | - | Generalised Land Use Database (GLUD, England only, 2001) and Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) Land Cover Data (UK, 2000) | Modelled GLUD % green space using CORINE variables and population density (2001) (R2 = 0.95), then used model to predict % green space for whole UK |
1 no. of degree-days above 22°c
2 no. of degree-days below 15.5°c in winter months
3 no. of days with daily minimum >3°C below 1961-90 daily normal for ≥5 consecutive days (Nov-Apr)
4 no. of days with daily maximum >3°C above 1961-90 daily normal for ≥5 consecutive days (May-Oct)