Something in the air: Most polluted city in the UK revealed


By Dr. Tim Sandle
December 17, 2024
DIGITAL JOURNAL

Princes Square, Wolverhampton - the most polluted city in the UK. Image by Steven J at the English-language, CC3 .0

A new study has named Wolverhampton the most polluted city in the UK with the highest level of air pollution and absolute absence of cleanliness. Britain’s capital and the largest city, London rounds out the top 5 with significant air quality challenges and high water pollution levels.

The firm Waste Direct constructed the list of the most polluted cities in the UK through a survey-based approach. Key metrics included air pollution with the highest given weight, drinking water pollution and inaccessibility data, and the percentage of dissatisfaction with garbage disposal, as well as the level of dirtiness and tidiness.

Additional metrics such as noise and light pollution, water pollution, and dissatisfaction level of green spaces and parks were also considered contributing to composite score calculation.

The data was taken from Numbeo and World Population Review to create a deep analysis of urban environmental challenges. The detailed data was provided to Digital Journal for review.

The outcomes were, in terms of the top ten worst urban offenders:Wolverhampton
Coventry
Portsmouth
Manchester
London
Bath
Birmingham
Southampton
Sunderland
Luton

As indicated above, Wolverhampton tops the list as the UK’s most polluted city with a composite score of 80. The city reports maximum dirtiness and untidiness levels with an absolute score of 100 and significant air pollution, and high garbage disposal dissatisfaction rates. Wolverhampton’s high noise pollution at 83 and poor green space accessibility ensure its position as the UK’s dirtiest city.

Coventry ranks second among the least clean UK cities, scoring 69. The city shows concerning levels across all metrics, particularly with notable dirtiness ratings at 61. Its high noise pollution level and growing dissatisfaction over garbage disposal services highlight the city’s problems with urban environmental quality.

Portsmouth holds third place with a composite score of 68. The city faces issues with urban cleanliness, scoring high in dirtiness and untidiness. Portsmouth’s garbage disposal dissatisfaction rate of 55 and moderate air quality issues contribute to its high ranking among the most polluted cities.

Manchester secures fourth position with a score of 67. The city has high dirtiness ratings at 61 and troubling air quality metrics at 51. With a population of over 395,000, Manchester’s dense urban environment leads to regular challenges, mainly seen in its poor waste management satisfaction scores.

London ranks fifth with a composite score of 63. Being the largest city with over 7.5 million residents, London’s position is ensured due to its high air pollution level at 63, significant noise and light pollution, and moderate water quality issues.

Bath takes sixth place with a score of 63 and Birmingham, England’s second-largest city, ranks seventh with a score of 62. Southampton holds the eighth position with a score of 61. The city’s cleanliness issues are mostly connected with its water pollution levels at 50 and lack of proper air quality.

Sunderland comes ninth place, scoring 59. The city’s biggest problems are its poor water quality and high cleanliness issues at 75. Luton completes the top 10 polluted cities list with a score of 58. The city’s environmental problems result from its poor urban cleanliness and concerning noise pollution levels. Luton faces challenges with garbage management and water quality while having relatively better air quality compared to other cities in the ranking.