{"id":56619,"date":"2021-12-07T16:16:53","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T16:16:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=56619"},"modified":"2021-12-08T08:51:23","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T08:51:23","slug":"cardiff-air-quality-improvement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2021\/12\/07\/cardiff-air-quality-improvement\/","title":{"rendered":"Air quality improves in Cardiff’s most polluted streets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quality improves by 57% since 2018 but Cardiff Council urged to do more to persuade people to leave their cars at home<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

AN FOI request from The Cardiffian shows that the eight locations in the city where Nitrogen Dioxide levels were over the 40 micrograms per cubic metre<\/a> (\u00b5g\/m\u00b3) limit are all now within legal levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The areas which recorded the high levels in 2018 were two locations on Westgate Street, Bute Terrace, two locations on Castle Street, and Bridge Road between Llandaff and Llandaff North. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the monitoring stations are on very busy roads into, out of or across the city centre, which explains the high pollution levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK according to the World Health Organisation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Caro Wild said: \u201cWe agree with the WHO that there is no safe limit, that is why our policy is not just to reach under 40 everywhere, our policy is to keep trying to get these figures lower.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Welsh government is legally obliged (under 2010 legislation) to keep levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2<\/sub>) below an annual average of 40 micrograms per cubic metre (\u00b5g\/m\u00b3) each year.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NO2 <\/sub>is formed in vehicle combustion as the heat in the engine catalyses the reaction between atmospheric Nitrogen and Oxygen.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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