UK air pollution falling but danger levels still breached too often, say scientists

Despite the reduction of nitrogen dioxide and the fine particles PM2.5, safety limits are still broken in the UK. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA

The UK’s air pollution has dropped since 2015, scientists have found, but they have warned that dangerous levels are still reached too often.

Researchers found that nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), which is mainly produced by traffic, fell by 35% on average at monitoring sites. Fine particles called PM2.5, which are small enough to get deep into lungs and are produced by sources including burning wood, internal combustion engines, and brake and tyre wear, dropped by 30%.