POLLUTION levels in Cwmbran have fallen since the introduction of coronavirus lockdown measures - but only slightly.

A study conducted by the BBC Shared Data Unit compared the average daily nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions at monitoring stations across the UK in the eight days after Boris Johnson told people they should work from home to the equivalent week last year.

In many areas, average daily nitrogen dioxide emissions have fallen compared with the same eight-day period last year, analysis of data shows.

MORE NEWS:

Nitrogen dioxide, released from car exhausts, is a serious air pollutant and also indirectly contributes to the warming of the planet.

Between March 19 and 26 last year, the Cwmbran station gave an average NO2 reading of 10.125 micrograms per cubic metre.

In comparison, between March 17 and 24, the station gave an average NO2 reading of nine micrograms per cubic metre.

The exact dates do not match to ensure the same days of the week are covered.

Cllr Mandy Owen, Torfaen council's Executive Member for the Environment, said: "Whilst we are in a situation which I’m sure all of us wish we weren’t in, the improvements to air quality reported around the world shows what can happen when vehicle traffic is reduced.

"Torfaen County Borough Council works with the Welsh Government to provide and promote schemes that enable journeys to be made on more sustainable modes of transport than the private car, and will continue to do so when this crisis is over."

There were varying results at the other stations in Gwent, with the stations on Chepstow’s A48 and in Hafod-yr-ynys seeing a dramatic reduction in NO2 levels, while Newport actually saw a rise.

The average NO2 levels recorded at the Chepstow station more than halved, falling from 49.625 micrograms per cubic metre in 2019 to 21.25 micrograms per cubic metre this year - the third highest reduction in emissions in the UK.

But in Newport, that figure rose from 19.625 micrograms of NO2 per cubic metre to 26.5 micrograms per cubic metre.

The biggest fall in pollution was at Hafod-yr-ynys - home to Wales’ most polluted street.

The data saw a reduction in NO2 emissions by 31.5 micrograms of NO2 per cubic metre - from 72.6 in 2019 to 41.1 in 2020.

At the other end of the scale, only three testing stations across the UK saw a higher rise than Newport’s 6.9 micrograms of NO2 per cubic metre.