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
Camden has been named as having the worst air quality in the UK, with deadly pollutants found in the air more than four times the recommended limit. Figures from the Geographic Data Service show that one area in Camden, London, which covers Holborn, St Giles and Covent Garden, is the most polluted in the country.
Data from Imperial College London showed that every year, there are around 109 premature deaths in the borough due to air pollution. This prompted Camden Council to implement the “Camden Clean Air Action Plan” in 2022, which was partly prompted by Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, a South London mother whose daughter tragically died after she was admitted to A&E more than 20 times due to acute asthma attacks.8
Rosamund campaigned for seven years for poor air quality to be recognised as a factor in her daughter’s death. Since the plan was implemented, Camden has been adamant that it will try to meet the World Health Organisation’s air quality guidelines, which are higher than the UK’s limit.
Residents in the area 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.
MyLondon spoke to residents of the area to find out their views on the revelation that their borough had the worst air quality in Britain. Lucas Shaw, a resident of Camden for the past six years, said: “The air can be quite thick sometimes with pollution, I’m glad the council are trying to do something about it, but obviously something else needs to be done to make a difference.
“I can’t quite believe Camden is the worst in the country. I mean, Euston Road used to be really bad, I think it still might be. You’d think they would be a bit stricter on traffic if it was that bad here; it’s got to be really dangerous for people round here.”
Julie Oscars, who said she has lived in the area for a number of years, said: “It’s always been bad here, I just hope they can do something to sort it out soon with all this global warming going on. We need to sort it out.
“It’s only going to get worse, and it will just mean those poor people with asthma will be really suffering. You can almost feel it sometimes. I know everyone bangs on about how much they hate that low-emission zone thing (ULEZ), but you’ll need it soon if you live around here.”
A spokesperson for the London Clean Air Initiative said: “These findings should serve as a wake-up call. While London has made important progress in improving air quality in recent years, far too many people are still being exposed to harmful levels of pollution every day.
“Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to public health, increasing the risk of asthma, heart disease, stroke, dementia and lung cancer, with children, older people and those with existing health conditions most at risk.
“The fact that areas of London continue to feature so prominently in reports like this shows there is still much more to do. Clean air should not be a privilege determined by where you live, it should be a basic right for everyone.
“Continued investment in cleaner transport, greener neighbourhoods and measures that reduce emissions will be essential if we are to protect public health and create healthier, more liveable communities.”
Shockingly, all neighbourhoods in London had levels of both PM2.5 and NO2 that were over the recommended amount.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, with Camden the worst affected – including parts of Hatton Garden and Theobalds Road, and King’s Cross and Bloomsbury North.
Neighbourhoods in the Barnsbury West and Pentonville areas of Islington also had particularly dirty air. At the other end of the scale, several neighbourhoods in the Biggin Hill area of Bromley had the cleanest air in London, followed by parts of New Addington in Croydon.
However, even these neighbourhoods still had levels of PM2.5 that were more than twice as high as the recommended amount.
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.”
Stay in the loop with the latest North London news. Sign up to our MyNorthLondon newsletter HERE for daily updates and more.
