{"id":528482,"date":"2025-10-26T05:34:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T05:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/528482\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T05:34:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T05:34:26","slug":"the-areas-of-greater-manchester-where-youre-at-risk-just-by-breathing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/528482\/","title":{"rendered":"The areas of Greater Manchester where you’re at risk just by breathing"},"content":{"rendered":"

MEN INVESTIGATION: Although strides have been made to improve air quality in Greater Manchester, a number of areas are still masked in dangerous emissions. One campaign group has called it a ‘public health emergency’. James Holt reports.\"TrafficTraffic on the Mancunian Way; one of the worst areas for air pollution in the region(Image: Marianna Longo)<\/p>\n

In 38 areas of Greater Manchester, you are at risk just by breathing.<\/p>\n

Despite major strides to improve air quality across the region, there are a number of areas where the air quality is still exceeding legal thresholds, with the air masked with dangerous fumes.<\/p>\n

It’s mostly the fault of emissions from vehicles, worsened during peak times and congestion on the Greater Manchester’s roads.<\/p>\n

How ‘at risk’ you are is a postcode lottery. It’s in areas where people live. Where thousands of children walk to school and commuters travel to work. They are breathing in ‘toxic air’ without a second’s thought.<\/p>\n

A recent study claimed pollution in Manchester remains so severe it\u2019s \u2018like smoking 149 cigarettes a year\u2019.<\/a><\/p>\n

People with long-term exposure to the fumes could be at risk of serious health issues, with a leading campaign group now calling it a ‘public health emergency’.<\/p>\n

The city region, and parts of Stockport<\/a>, Wigan<\/a>, Tameside<\/a> and Oldham<\/a>, all recorded levels of nitrogen dioxide that for years have consistently reached levels above the legal limit, according to the latest official data examined by the Manchester Evening News.<\/p>\n

Exposure to the gas, formed primarily from the burning of fossil fuels by vehicles, power plants, and industries, has a cumulative impact over time and may contribute to chronic health conditions.<\/p>\n

It can can cause respiratory issues like airway inflammation, reduced lung function, and an increased risk of respiratory infections.<\/p>\n

“This is a public health emergency”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recent figures obtained by the campaign group Mums for Lungs, under the Freedom of Information Act, show that in the last two years nearly 8,500 children were admitted to the specialist paediatric respiratory services at Manchester University Foundation NHS<\/a> Trust, or seen as outpatients.<\/p>\n

The group claims the number of children, toddlers and babies admitted to Manchester hospitals with breathing problems has soared by hundreds in just one year, warning a failure to get air pollution under legal levels is contributing<\/a> to an epidemic of serious lung problems and respiratory illnesses.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Mancunian Way is one of the worst areas in the city for air pollution(Image: Jason Roberts \/Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Campaigners also claim that measurement readings of air quality in Manchester don’t give the full picture – with the majority of diffusion tubes focussed on the city region rather than further afield. An average reading, showing illegal limits of NO2, also takes into account peak times on the roads, such as early morning and rush hour, when readings will be significantly higher.<\/p>\n

As well as applauding the efforts to tackle air pollution across Greater Manchester – which has seen huge improvement in the last five years due to the likes of economical and electrified buses with improved frequencies and timetables – Liz Godfrey, who runs the Manchester Mums for Lungs group, says the issue remains a ‘public health emergency’, and that areas only just falling just beneath the legal maximum threshold is ‘nothing to be proud of’.<\/p>\n

“Once again it has been confirmed that Greater Manchester\u2019s children are still breathing some of the most polluted air in the UK, with illegal levels of pollution persisting for over 15 years,” she said. “This ongoing exposure is contributing to serious health impacts, including stunted lung development in children and rising rates of asthma and cancer among non-smokers.<\/p>\n

“We support the efforts to enhance and incentivise public transport, yet despite it, we’re still seeing a continued rise in car ownership in Manchester. It’s crucial we encourage people to avoid using their cars for short trips, particularly when it comes to diesel vehicles, which are among the most harmful to health.<\/p>\n

\"PiccadillyPiccadilly Bus Station in the city centre(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

“If you live outside the city centre, there’s really no way of knowing the air quality where you are, unless you’re near a major road with a monitoring station. That’s the problem with the current data\u2014it only reflects an average. During peak times, when children are walking to school and traffic is heavier, air pollution levels are much higher.<\/p>\n

“We need a clear plan for addressing this issue because this is a public health emergency and it demands immediate attention.”<\/p>\n

The areas of Greater Manchester above the legal limit<\/strong><\/p>\n

The levels of nitrogen oxide in the air are measured against the long-term annual mean legal limit. The legal limit in the UK is 40 micrograms per cubic metre of air. Measurements of less than 40.4\u03bcg\/m3 are rounded down, making the clean air plan compliant.<\/p>\n

But the World Health Organisation\u2019s recommended limit is just 10.<\/p>\n

Exposure to the harmful gas has a cumulative impact over time and may contribute to chronic health conditions \u2013 similar to smoking.<\/p>\n

The latest data available is for 2024, as published by Clean Air Greater Manchester. Some areas, such as the Mancunian Way and A6 \/ Stockport Road, have various readings due to multiple measuring diffusion tubes along the same route.<\/p>\n

The 38 areas of Greater Manchester where pollution levels are above legal limits, where Nitrogen Dioxide is measured in \u03bcg\/m3:<\/strong><\/p>\n