Newcastle worst in Europe for air pollution but council denies

In March clean air company Airly carried out a study that ranked the worst European cities for air pollution, with Newcastle ranking first (or worst) for Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). Mean levels of NO₂ over a 24-hour period were recorded at 44.6 micrograms per cubic metre of air, 179% greater than the recommended limit and worse than those of capital cities such as Paris and London.

Having previously called Airly’s claims misleading, when they ranked 2^nd for NO₂ pollution last year, Newcastle council stated again that the findings are distorted and present an unreliable picture of Newcastle’s pollution. This is due to data relying on samples from only a handful of the hundreds of government monitoring stations across Tyneside and on samples being taken over a short period of time.

Whilst they may dispute the claims of Airly, the council recognise the health issues that are caused by NO₂ and plan to tackle pollution with the implementation of a clean air zone. It is hoped that the enforcement of tolls on highly polluting vehicles entering the city centre and the pedestrianization of Grey street and Blackett street will help to reduce levels of air pollution below unacceptable.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is mostly produced by the combustion of fossil fuels, with emission sources including vehicles, construction equipment, and power plants. Long term exposure to NO₂ has been shown to aggravate pre-existing asthma, trigger inflammation of airways, and increase the likelihood of respiratory infections. High NO₂ levels are also harmful to the environment causing damage to vegetation and crops, changing the chemical makeup of soil, and threatening species diversity.

To help combat health issues stemming from key air pollutants, the WHO air quality guidelines stipulate the mean atmospheric levels that should not exceed over a 24-hour period and annually. For NO₂ this level is set to 25 micrograms per cubic metre of air over a 24-hour period. However, targets are rarely met and, in 2019 99% of the global population lived in areas that exceeded these air quality limits.