40% of the Spanish population suffers from high levels of pollution

Spain’s 80 largest cities, home to around 19 million people (40% of the country’s total population), have a high level of pollution air, despite evidence of the health effects it has, according to a report by the Sustainability Observatory.

For the preparation of the study, the evolution in 2021 of three main pollutants was analyzed: nitrogen dioxide (NO_two) and the particles PM₁₀ EPM_2.5which largely come from vehicle circulation, industry and heating.

Among the conclusions of the document, it is highlighted that the average levels of contamination in 2021 were very Similar to the average of 2020, when the confinement took place after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thus, the values ​​moved in the order of 19.7 μg/m³ average concentration of NO_two in two years and between 18-20 μg/m³ in terms of particles PM₁₀although in periods of maximum confinement the mean NO_two was 11 µg/m³.

The study concludes that in smaller cities there was a increase in NO concentrations_two and that, in general, at the end of last year the levels of contamination increased in general.

Zaragoza and Madrid, the worst in NO2

Regarding NO_twothe largest cities that most improved their pollution levels were Valence (with a drop of 15%), Malaga (-6%) and seville (-1%), while in the opposite direction appear Zaragoza s Madridwith increases of 7%.

The large intermediate cities that improved the most were murcia (-38%), Alicante (-11 and Palma de Mallorca (-7%), while the other side of the table is led vigo s Valladolidwith increases of 14 and 15%, respectively.

In the case of cities with 1,000 to 250,000 inhabitants, those that most reduced their NO levels_two They were Castellon de la Plana (25%), Cartagena (21%) and logron (fifteen %). Leganes (9%), salamanca (14%) and Badajoz (14%) were the ones who created them the most.

In the group of smaller cities, those that most reduced their NO pollution_two They were gandia (-27%), Palence (-23%) and Avilés (-21%) and those that grew the most were Guadalajara (eleven %), royal city (31%) and Recife (43%).

In absolute terms, the most polluted in NO_two They were Leganes (32.5μg/m3), Mollet del Valles (30.6), coslada (29.7), Madrid (29.2), terrassa (28.1), getafe (28.1), Granollers (28.1), grenade (26.3), Alcala de Henares (24.5) and barcelona (24).

Thus, cities with the highest concentration of NO_two are those that make up the largest urban areas, with a large population and in correspondence with the largest car parks, as is the case of Madrid, Barcelona, ​​the coast of Malaga and Zaragoza.

In Grenada, the high levels are due to a very specific climate regime that, like Ourense, favors the concentration of pollutants, since large air masses remain stable over its urban areas.

PM pollution₁₀

Regarding PM10 particles, the palms (-Four five %), Valence (-27%), Recife (-23%) and Valladolid (-13%) led the improvementwhile in the opposite direction they highlighted lugo (twenty %), Albacete (26%), holy cross of tenerife (32%) and Zaragoza (57%).

Those with the highest contamination were marbella 32.4μg/m³, A Coruña 31.2μg/m³, murcia 29.9μg/m³, Guadalajara 28.8μg/m³ s the palms 28.6μg/m³.
in PM_2.5 the most polluted cities marbella 16.9μg/m³, grenade 15.5μg/m³, Granollers 15.4μg/m³, barcelona 15.1μg/m³ s murcia 14.8μg/m³.

Free public transport during pollution peaks

According to the Observatory, the NO data_two reveal the need to reduce the use of private vehicleestablish pedestrian areas, promote the use of bicycles, motorcycles and electric cars and reinforce the public transportationwhich must be free during peak pollution periods.

Furthermore, it would be necessary to reduce emissions from large industrieseven in those located miles away, incinerators, industrial parks, waste management and home heating.

The recommendations regarding particles are less obvious, since, with the data used, there are no clear patterns of improvement during the confinement period, according to the source.