CLAIMS that Prestonpans is the most polluted town in Scotland have been dismissed. . . after it was suggested that experts had confused the seaside town with an English city nearly 200 miles away!
The World Health Organisation (WHO) produced its annual list of the world’s biggest air pollution offenders this week – and named Prestonpans as the worst in Scotland. However, the readings used are out of date, as they were taken in 2013.
WHO released a similar report two years ago which also named and shamed Prestonpans – yet it was thought then that the high pollution levels related to the former Cockenzie Power Station, which was operational until March 2013.
However, East Lothian Council said this week that it was likely that WHO had confused Prestonpans with Preston in Lancashire!
A spokesperson said: “East Lothian Council is surprised to be included in the list of most polluted towns and cities in the UK.
“The data used in this study is from 2013 and does not necessarily reflect current air quality.
“Furthermore, East Lothian Council is of the opinion that the World Health Organisation has mistaken Prestonpans with Preston, which is in England.
“East Lothian Council presume the mistake in name is related to a mix-up at the WHO with their harvesting or governance of the eReporting data used in their study.
“East Lothian Council, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Scottish Government are not aware of any ratified monitoring data for PM2.5 in Prestonpans that indicates any exceedance of the annual mean air quality objective of 10ug/m3.

"It is extremely disappointing that the air quality within Prestonpans is depicted in some media as dangerous when there is no ratified evidence to suggest this is the case.” at all.”