Thousands of pupils in Wales exposed to unsafe air pollution
More than 65,000 young people across Wales are living in areas where air quality breaches World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, according to analysis by Friends of the Earth using Defra data from 2021 to 2023.
The findings show that 79 per cent of Welsh neighbourhoods exceed recommended levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5), with 203 schools affected.
Joseph Carter, chair of Healthy Air Cymru and head of devolved nations at Asthma and Lung UK Cymru, said: "Schools should be safe places for young people.
"It's shocking to discover thousands of school children in Wales are breathing in dangerous, polluted air that could damage their lungs."
The top 10 worst-affected schools are in Cardiff, but high pollution levels were also recorded in Newport, Swansea, Caerphilly, Vale of Glamorgan, and Neath Port Talbot.
Haf Elgar, vice-chair of Healthy Air Cymru and director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: "This data is a timely reminder that we must go further and faster to clean up our dirty air.
'Air pollution affects the most vulnerable in society the most, who are often doing the least to cause it."
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