An interactive map reveals the worst pollution hotspots across Britain, with almost every neighbourhood exceeding recommended levels of harmful PM2.5 particles that can cause cancer
The parts of Britain with the dirtiest air have been revealed, with some neighbourhoods seeing levels of potentially deadly pollutants more than four times the recommended limit.
Figures from the Geographic Data Service show that an area in Camden, London, covering parts of Holborn, St Giles, and Covent Garden was the most polluted in the country. Residents are breathing in an annual average of nearly 21 micrograms of fine particulate matter and more than 34 micrograms of nitrogen dioxide.
The World Health Organisation recommends levels should not exceed an annual average of five micrograms of PM2.5 and 15 micrograms of NO2. However, scientists have stressed that even these limits are not “safe”, as pollutants can cause damage at any level.
PM2.5 is particularly harmful. These microscopic particles can bypass the body’s natural defences and travel deep into the lungs and bloodstream, posing serious health risks. As well as potentially causing stinging eyes, coughing, and shortness of breath, exposure increases the risk of lung cancer, respiratory infections, and cardiovascular diseases.
Similarly, exposure to NO2 can inflame airways, trigger asthma attacks, and reduce lung function, as well as increasing the risk of respiratory infections. A shocking 99% of neighbourhood’s in Britain had levels of PM2.5 that were over the recommended amount, and 51% had excess levels of NO2.
Urban areas are the worst affected, seeing significantly higher levels of both pollutants but NO2 in particular, compared to rural neighbourhoods. All of the hardest-hit areas in Britain are in London, but the figures also reveal the places in each region with the dirtiest air.
These include a neighbourhood located in the Stone area of Dartford, Kent, an inner-city neighbourhood in the Aston Park area of Birmingham, and parts of the North Evington area of Leicester. Other regional hotspots include parts of Bootle and Seaforth in Sefton, West Thurrock in Essex, the Sheepscars and Lovell Park neighbourhoods in Leeds, and a neighbourhood in the Splott district of Cardiff.
Also ranking highly were parts of North Shields in North Tyneside, Upper Montpelier in Bristol and a neighbourhood in the city centre of Glasgow. At the other end of the scale, the areas with the cleanest air are largely in remote, rural parts of Scotland and Wales, while in England parts of Devon in the south and Cumberland and Northumberland in the north also have particularly low levels of air pollution.
Jonathan Blades, head of policy and public affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “It’s unacceptable that communities across the UK are being exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution, which is linked to up to 43,000 deaths across the UK every year.
“This will be especially worrying for the 12 million people living with a lung condition who are particularly vulnerable to the impact of poor air quality. These statistics show that current UK guidelines on air pollution are outdated and failing to protect our communities.”
The charity would like to see the Labour Party recommit its support for a new Clean Air Act that sets legally binding air quality targets in line with World Health Organization guidelines, as well as a national public awareness campaign to help people better understand the health impact of air pollution and how to reduce their exposure.
A Defra spokesperson said: “Poor air quality robs people of their health and costs the NHS millions in extra treatments for lung conditions and asthma. That is why the government remains committed to improving air quality to deliver benefits for public health, the environment, and the economy.
“The action we’ve taken includes setting new air quality targets to cut exposure to harmful particles by nearly a third by 2030. Alongside this, we are taking steps to reform areas like simpler industrial permits to reduce emissions and have consulted on exploring tightening standards for new wood burning appliances to help reduce health impacts.”
