Everyone knows how smoky air can make you cough and cause your eyes to water. In the past, thousands of people in London died during severe pollution episodes, over 5,000 on one week alone in December 1952. Today many people suffer from asthma and cardiovascular problems made worse by poor air quality.

The YourAir pollution mapping service shows you the levels of the three most important pollutants around Wakefield: ozone, airborne particles, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. It also shows the Total Air Quality Index, that shows the combines effects of all pollutants.

All these are thought to harm people who have asthma or other respitory or cardiovascular problems. At very high levels they can harm healthy people too. As the maps show, the highest levels are often found in small areas around roads or other sources of pollution like power stations.

YourAir provides maps for Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Sulphur Dioxide and Particles because these are the main pollutants found in Wakefield. In other places Carbon Monoxide, Lead, Benzene and other compounds can also be major pollutants, but the amounts of these found in Wakefield are always very low.