Inequalities in Exposure to Nitrogen Dioxide in Parks and Playgrounds in Greater London

Elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) have been associated with adverse health outcomes in children, including reduced lung function and increased rates of asthma. Many parts of London continue to exceed the annual average NO₂ concentration of 40 µg/m³ set by the EU directive. Using high-resolution maps of annual average NO₂ for 2016 from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory and detailed maps of open spaces from Britain's national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey, we estimated average NO₂ concentrations for every open space in Greater London and analysed geospatial patterns comparing Inner verses Outer London and the 32 London Boroughs. Across Greater London, 24% of play spaces, 67% of private parks and 27% of public parks had average levels of NO₂ that exceeded the EU limit for NO₂. Rates of exceedance were higher in Inner London; open spaces in the City of London had the highest average NO₂ values among all the London Boroughs. The closest play space for more than 250,000 children (14% of children) under 16 years old in Greater London had NO₂ concentrations above the recommended levels. Of these children, 66% (~165,000 children) lived in the most deprived areas of London, as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivations, where average NO₂ concentrations in play spaces were on average 6 µg/m³ higher than for play spaces in the least deprived quintile. More action is needed to reduce NO₂ in open spaces to safe levels through pollution reduction and mitigation efforts, as currently, open spaces in Greater London, including play spaces, parks and gardens, still have dangerously high levels of NO₂, according to the most recent NO₂ map.