Everyone should be able to breathe clean air.

But right now, many of us are breathing in harmful levels of air pollution, and over 1200 people in Greater Manchester die prematurely every year because of the air that they breathe.

Air pollution affects nearly every part of our body and harms our mental health.

What causes air pollution?

Air pollution is made up of particles and gases in the air that can be harmful to our health. There are many different pollutants, some are more dangerous than others.

In the UK, two of the most common and hazardous pollutants are:

  • nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is a gas that comes from road vehicles.

  • particulate matter (PM), particularly PM2.5, which are small, airborne particles which primarily come from vehicles, wood burning, industry and farming.

Every day, cars, trucks and other road vehicles release hazardous NO2 and particulate matter into our atmosphere  - especially vehicles that run on diesel. In urban areas, vehicles can be responsible for up to 70% of air pollution.

Who does it affect?

Air pollution is dangerous for everyone, but some groups are more at risk than others.

  • People living with a lung condition like asthma, and people with cardiovascular diseases are particularly vulnerable.

  • Pregnant women who are exposed to air pollution are at greater risk of premature deliveries and complications. Toxic air can also have a negative impact on the health of an unborn baby. 

  • Infants and children that breathe in dirty air can grow up with impaired lung function and develop respiratory disease more easily. This is because they have smaller lungs which are still developing, and children breathe more times per minute than adults do.

  • Elderly people are more vulnerable to air pollution, as it can heighten pre-existing health problems such as respiratory and heart disease.

  • Air pollution impacts are not equal, with poorer neighbourhoods often breathing the dirtiest air. People with lung conditions in the poorest neighbourhoods are seven times more likely to die of a lung conditions than those in the richest areas.

There isn’t really a safe level of air pollution. Right now, the level of pollutants in our air is dangerously high. Some parts of Greater Manchester are above the legal limit set for air pollution by the UK, and up to 5 times over the World Health Organization Guidelines, according to the latest government data.

Why does it matter?

  • Air pollution impacts almost every part of our body and our mental health too.

    Greater Manchester’s air pollution is so bad, it contributes to over 1200 people a year dying prematurely.

  • Air Pollution is costing our NHS and social care systems billions too - by 2035, Public Health England estimates by 2035, this number could be as high as £18.6 billion.

  • CBI economics estimated that bringing nitrogen dioxide within legal limits would add £7.1m to Greater Manchester’s economy each year through increased workforce participation.

  • Many sources of outdoor air pollution are also responsible for carbon dioxide emissions. For example, burning fossil fuels for power generation and polluting transport are major sources of both pollution and carbon dioxide. That means that many of the solutions to tackle air pollution - such as reducing the number of polluting cars on the road - also help to tackle climate change and make our city a better place to live.

This map shows the recorded levels of nitrogen dioxide across Greater Manchester, with the highest concentrations shown in the darkest colours. Only three sites are compliant with the limits recommended by the World Health Organization. That means that nearly all of us are breathing air that is harmful to our health.