Roadside concentrations of particulate matter (PM10) in inner London decreased by approximately 52 percent between 2016 and 2023. This was the highest percentage decrease of PM10 levels at roadside locations during this period. Roadside concentrations of PM10 in inner and outer London were 26 and 20 percent below 2016 levels in 2023, respectively.
PM10 refers to particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less. Exposure to high concentrations of these pollutants can cause numerous health impacts. These range from mild symptoms like coughing and wheezing, to heart attack, strokes, and premature death.
Reductions in particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type
(in percent)
Location and site type
Change in PM10 concentrations relative to 2016 levels
The source adds the following information about the different monitoring types:
Roadside sites are generally within one to five meters of a busy road and usually located around adult breathing height. These sites give the best estimate of public exposure along busy roads. Roadside sites are useful for identifying air quality hotspots due to traffic that may have potential health impacts - especially those frequented by large numbers of pedestrians.
Urban background sites are located further away from sources of emissions and are not influenced by one single nearby pollution source. In London, traffic is the main source for background sites to avoid, and there are guidelines about how close background sites can be to roads. The benefit of urban background sites is they are usually representative of all other urban background locations within an area of several square kilometers. For this analysis, “Suburban” and “Urban Centre” sites have been treated as “Urban Background.
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Mayor of London. (March 7, 2024). Reductions in particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type (in percent) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471242/reduction-percentage-of-pm10-levels-in-london/
Mayor of London. "Reductions in particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type (in percent)." Chart. March 7, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471242/reduction-percentage-of-pm10-levels-in-london/
Mayor of London. (2024). Reductions in particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type (in percent). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471242/reduction-percentage-of-pm10-levels-in-london/
Mayor of London. "Reductions in Particulate Matter (Pm10) Concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by Location and Site Type (in Percent)." Statista, Statista Inc., 7 Mar 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471242/reduction-percentage-of-pm10-levels-in-london/
Mayor of London, Reductions in particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type (in percent) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471242/reduction-percentage-of-pm10-levels-in-london/ (last visited December 23, 2024)
Reductions in particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type (in percent) [Graph], Mayor of London, March 7, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471242/reduction-percentage-of-pm10-levels-in-london/
