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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Revealed: Scotland’s most polluted streets

This news post is about 7 years old
 

​Some of Scotland's streets contain dangerously high pollution levels

Friends of the Earth has published a list of Scotland’s most polluted streets.

And yet again Edinburgh’s St John’s Road comes top.

Hope Street in Glasgow came second on the list which is collected from official monitoring stations across the country.

Streets in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Perth, Glasgow, Dundee, Falkirk and Rutherglen failed to meet Scottish air quality standards.

The organisation says air pollution causes thousands of deaths each year in Scotland.

Friends of the Earth Scotland air pollution campaigner Emilia Hanna, said: "Air pollution causes 2,000 early deaths in Scotland every year - it's a serious public health crisis and tackling it should be a top priority for the Scottish government."

Edinburgh City Council transport and environment convener Lesley Hinds said despite St John’s Road being worst in the country 97% of the city’s roads passed air quality standards.

She added: "There's no way we can introduce a low-emissions strategy in the city with the Scottish government unless we can get extra resources."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish government - which is facing legal action over a perceived failure to tackle air pollution, said: "Data shows that significant reductions in air pollutants have been achieved since 1990 and further decreases are predicted in the future, given our knowledge of the likely impacts of planned investment.

"Although there has been excellent progress, we recognise that there is more to be done to deliver further benefits for human and environmental health where areas of poorer air quality remain."

Scotland's most polluted

1. St. John's Road Edinburgh: 65 microgrammes

2. Hope Street Glasgow: 60 microgrammes

3. Seagate, Dundee: 50 microgrammes

4. Atholl Street, Perth: 48 microgrammes

5. Lochee Road, Dundee: 48 microgrammes

6. Union Street, Aberdeen: 46 microgrammes

7. Queensferry Road, Edinburgh: 41 microgrammes

8. Wellington Road, Aberdeen: 41 microgrammes