§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has carried out into the health effects of nickel and vanadium emitted from large combustion plants; what conclusions have been reached; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe Department of Environment has not carried out any research into the health effects of nickel and vanadium. The World Health Organisation has published an air quality guideline for vanadium of 1 vg/m3 daily average. The data available for the United Kingdom suggest that this is unlikely to be exceeded in urban areas.
The WHO has not produced an air quality guideline for nickel. Advice from the Department of Health is that there is no reason to suppose that ambient levels of nickel pose a significant threat to health in the United Kingdom.