Every South London borough breaches WHO nitrogen dioxide guidelines

By Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

A new study of London’s air quality has revealed that the air in every borough breaches World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on the toxic pollutant nitrogen dioxide.

Analysis by City Hall reveals that at 100 per cent of the 1,823 sites measured across the capital, nitrogen dioxide levels exceed the WHO’s recommended limit of 10 µg/m3.

Merton was the borough with the highest percentage of places measured which breached that legal limit at 27 per cent, followed by Brent, 26 per cent, and Croydon at 25 per cent – though the number of places measured within each borough varied significantly.

Some 14 boroughs were also found to have five or more locations which breached the more stringent, legal limit of 40 µg/m3.

Every borough was included in the data collection – with the exceptions of Bexley and Harrow, where the boroughs’ councils did not install air quality monitors, City Hall said.

The data comes from 2021. In October of that year, London Mayor Sadiq Khan expanded the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) from central London to cover the area within the North and South Circular roads.

The data shows a similar average concentration of nitrogen dioxide in both inner and outer London – which City Hall said “showed the need to take action right across the city”.

The Mayor said: “London’s toxic air is leading to children growing up with stunted lungs and causes around 4,000 premature deaths a year – with the greatest number of attributable deaths in London’s outer boroughs.”

He said the data “is yet more shocking proof that London’s air quality has been in serious breach of the recognised global standard – and it’s a problem in every single part of the capital”.

Hirra Khan Adeogun, head of car free cities at the climate charity Possible, said the data “shows just how much work there is still left to do on driving down air pollution and emissions in London”.

She added: “The Ulez expansion will certainly help by making our streets healthier and greener but we need to go further.

“Dedicated cycle lanes, road user charging, and investing in public transport, these are things that will help secure our climate and secure the long-term health of Londoners.”

(Picture: Hammersmith and Fulham council)