Revealed: our contaminated countryside

Published on Saturday 19 January 2008 19:14

SOME of the most scenic and unspoiled areas of rural Scotland have been identified as contamination hotspots in a unique survey of the country's most polluted post codes.

The Government's environmental watchdog has identified the 10 worst Scottish post codes for key types of industrial pollution, and areas of Lochaber, which includes Ben Nevis, Shetland, Orkney and Dumfries and Galloway appear alongside the big cities.

The information has been produced by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and is based on data from 844 sites.

It reveals the top 10 sites for nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), particulates and carbon dioxide (CO2). Nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide are both linked with respiratory problems. Particulates are tiny fragments of soot or metal which get lodged in the lungs and have been linked to cancer and respiratory problems. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas fuelling climate change.

The new figures reveal:

&#149 FK10, Kincardine, is top of the table for three pollutants and second in the other, most of it caused by Longannet coal-fired power station.

&#149 EH32, Longniddry/Cockenzie, is second in three categories and top of the particulates table due to Cockenzie coal-fired power station.

&#149 FK3 (Grangemouth) is in the top four for pollution because of its gigantic oil refinery.

&#149 AB42 (Peterhead) is in the top five for all four pollutants because of its gas-fired electricity plant.

&#149 ZE1 (Lerwick) is in the top 10 for both NOx and SOx due to its power station.

&#149 PH33 (Fort William) is in the top 10 for SOx and particulates as a result of its aluminium smelter and papermill.

&#149 DG11 (Lockerbie) finds itself in the top 10 for particulates thanks to its award-winning cheese factory.

&#149 KW16 (Flotta, Orkney) has an oil refinery which emits 174,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, putting the area in the top 10 for the greenhouse gas.

In addition, the Lafarge cement works in Dunbar, East Lothian, (EH42) puts the area in the top 10 for NOx, SOx and particulates. Brechin (DD9) finds itself fifth in Scotland for NOx because of its rubbish incinerator. And Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, (AB51) is seventh for CO2 because of the slaughterhouse, which emits 100,000 tonnes of the gas into the atmosphere each year.

Campaigners say that the figures show the need for tough action to protect the planet and some of the most scenic parts of Scotland.

A spokesman for the Scottish Greens said: "These figures show that pollution is a rural as well as an urban problem. There's clearly more work still to be done by planners, businesses and residents to tackle these pollution hotspots and so protect both public health and the environment."

Theo Nicolson, chairman of Lerwick Community Council, said: "It'll surprise a lot of people that we are in the top 10, but there has been a lot of concern about that power station, which is diesel-generated and very old. We know we have to get our power from somewhere, but if that station is going to be rebuilt then we will want it built further away from the town.

"If they decide to refurbish it then a lot of people will be against it. We are concerned about what's being pumped into the air, and the fact that we're in the top 10 will give a lot of cause for thought."

Stuart Hay, head of campaigns for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "It is really useful to know where Scotland's pollution hotspots are. Even if levels of pollutants are within legal limits, SEPA should be closely monitoring cumulative impacts, effects on sensitive members of local communities and seeking ongoing improvements from these facilities."

SEPA said all the plants they checked were within legal limits for emissions and that it would require further research to assess the direct impact, if any, on human health in the areas around the plants listed in the report.

A spokesman for ScottishPower, which operates Longannet and Cockenzie, said: "Yes, there is pollution, but that is because we are generating a large part of Scotland's electricity, and we are working to reduce the impact on the environment."

Up in the air

Carbon dioxide: not directly harmful to human health, but CO2 is regarded as being the chief culprit for climate change.

NOx: nitrous oxides, which are formed by the combustion of fuels in cars and industry, are linked to breathing problems.

SOx: sulphur oxides, usually formed through burning coal or oil which also contains sulphur, are also linked with respiratory problems.

Particulate matter: minute air-borne particles of carbon, metal and carbon compounds, which can lodge in the lungs and are linked to cancer.