Three of Tayside’s streets have been named and shamed as part of a publication detailing Scotland’s most polluted areas.
According to research published by environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth Scotland, Dundee’s Seagate ranks as Scotland’s third most polluted street for Nitrogen Dioxide, with an annual average of 50 microgrammes per cubic metre.
The legal limit is 40.
The city’s Lochee Road and Perth’s Atholl Street also made the national top five with a result of 48.
Lochee Road also failed the Scottish standard for Particulate Matter, with a reading of 19 microgrammes per cubic metre.
The Scottish maximum threshold for Particulate Matter is 18.
As part of their research, Friends of the Earth Scotland analysed official Scottish Government data for two harmful pollutants, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and coarse particles (PM10) which are known to be linked with serious health problems including heart attacks, strokes, respiratory illness and early death.
The results have been published in light of news that the Scottish Government may face court action if it fails to act quickly enough on the illegal levels of air pollution in Scotland’s major cities.
Air Pollution campaigner Emilia Hanna explained: “Streets are breaking legal limits in each major city in Scotland, demonstrating just how serious and widespread Scotland’s air pollution health crisis is.
“Air pollution causes over 2,000 early deaths in Scotland each year at a cost of over £1.1 billion to the economy. Air pollution increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and asthma attacks and the main culprit is traffic.
“The Scottish Government’s Clean Air Strategy has good aspirations but needs resources and energy behind it to tackle the scourge of dirty air in our towns and cities.
“The government must support local authorities with funding to implement low emission zones in all major cities.
“It must also increase its investment in walking and cycling paths so that it becomes safer and more convenient for people to leave their cars at home.”
The Air Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2000 tasked Scottish cities with reaching the European legal limit of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre by 2005.
Andrew Llanwarne, from Friends of the Earth Tayside, has previously called on cars to be banned from Dundee city centre should the city continue to fail to meet European Union targets.
He said: “I think it would solve a lot of problems. It would really drive home how severe the air pollution issue is.