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Nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, is a toxic gas mainly pumped out by car exhausts in busy streets. Breathe too much of it and it can irritate your lungs, weaken your defences against infections and even lead to serious breathing problems. In Spain alone, it was behind 4,100 premature deaths in 2023, according to the latest European Environment Agency report. With that in mind, it is worrying to hear that four Andalusian cities, Málaga, Granada, Seville and Córdoba, exceeded the EU's new 2030 limit for NO2 throughout 2025, based on provisional data from official monitoring stations.

 

Ecologists in Action crunched the numbers from around 20 major cities, home to nearly 12 million people. They found levels way above the upcoming cap of 20 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3). The World Health Organisation pushes for just 10 μg/m3 as a safe target. Málaga clocked 31 μg/m3 at Avenida Juan XXIII, Granada hit 30 μg/m3 at Granada Norte, while Seville and Córdoba both reached 22 μg/m3 at their key stations.

 

It is a similar story elsewhere. Madrid led at 32 μg/m3, with Barcelona and Murcia not far behind at 29 μg/m3 each. Recent checks confirm Murcia and Cartagena remain above the new EU limits too, highlighting an ongoing challenge in the Region of Murcia. Pamplona, Valencia, Bilbao and others like Vigo and Oviedo all topped 20 μg/m3, while only Valladolid and Santa Cruz de Tenerife scraped in at recommended level.

 

"Motorised traffic that enters and circulates through our streets" is the main culprit, says Ecologists in Action. They blame poorly placed traffic monitors that miss the real hotspots and are calling for better low-emission zones, anti-pollution protocols and fewer cars in city centres. Three years after the deadline, most towns over 50,000 people still lack proper plans. Seville, for one, made their list of the eight dirtiest cities and now faces demands for urgent action.

 

For those of us who enjoy a stroll downtown or have youngsters playing nearby, cleaner air cannot come soon enough. Simple steps like smarter urban driving could make all the difference and mean fresher breaths for everyone.

 

 

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