Dumfries town centre air pollution levels exceed WHO safe limit
Residents face health risks despite lower pollution than in other parts of the UK
Dumfries town centre has concerning pollution levels, according to figures from the Geographic Data Service.
Residents are breathing in an annual average of 7.4 micrograms of fine particulate matter, which is a type of pollution that originates primarily from combustion sources like vehicles (exhaust fumes and brake dust etc), industry, and wildfires.
The World Health Organization (WHO) safe limit is 5.0.
Known as PM2.5, these microscopic particles can bypass the body’s natural defences and travel deep into the lungs and bloodstream, posing serious health risks.
However, most town centres across Britain have alarming pollution stats, and the levels recorded in Dumfries town centre are much lower than other parts of the UK.
An area in Camden, London is the most polluted in the country – with residents breathing in an annual average of nearly 21 micrograms of fine particulate matter and more than 34 micrograms of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The levels of nitrogen oxide found in Dumfries town centre were only 4.2.
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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. 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 percent of neighborhoods in Britain had levels of PM2.5 that were over the recommended amount, and 51 percent 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.
Also ranking highly were a neighbourhood in city centre of Glasgow, parts of North Shields in North Tyneside, Upper Montpelier in Bristol.
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.”
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