Pollution levels around Portsmouth schools and nurseries is 'dangerously high'

New analysis, carried out by Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants, highlights places in the UK with excessive levels of PM 2.5 – a fine particle that can affect peoples’ lungs.

Research found 8,549 educational institutions in England, Wales and Scotland – some 27 per cent of the total – are in areas where the background level exceeds limits laid out by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

One of the worst affected areas in the study was Portsmouth, which has been fighting air pollution trouble for a number of years.

Harriet Edwards, senior policy and project manager for air quality at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, said: ‘It’s alarming that thousands of children are going into schools where dangerously high air pollution levels could be putting their health and futures at risk.

‘There are no safe levels for air pollution, we need to get levels as low as possible.

‘Covid-19 has reinforced more than ever the importance of healthy lungs and it’s our responsibility to ensure the next generation has clean air to breathe.’

The research, commissioned by Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, compares the location of schools, nurseries and colleges with annual PM2.5 levels in those areas, in 2019, before the impact of lockdown.

In Portsmouth, a clean air zone is being considered by the city council to tackle air quality around the city centre.

PM 2.5 is associated with lung disease and cancer and can trigger conditions such as asthma. It also affects the development of children’s lungs.

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Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation want to see the government commit to lower PM 2.5 limits, which would bring it in line with WHO guidelines.

A government spokesman said: ‘We are taking ambitious action to tackle air pollution across our communities – with emissions of fine particulate matter falling by 9 per cent since 2010 and £3.8bn invested in ensuring our air is the cleanest in decades.

‘But we know there is more to do, which is why through our landmark Environment Bill we are committed to setting an ambitious, legally binding target to reduce damaging fine particulate matter and ensure cleaner air for generations to come.’

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