The study, which analyzed 147 educational centers across 28 municipalities, indicates that nearly 40% of the most polluted school environments in Catalonia are concentrated in the Vallès Occidental and Oriental regions. Within this context, Sabadell stands out significantly.
Specifically, the Mare de Déu de La Salut school, located on Gran Via in Sabadell, has been identified as the center with the worst air quality among all those analyzed. Data from the environmental organization shows that this location registered 40.7 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), slightly exceeding the current legal limit of 40 µg/m³.
In addition to La Salut, other schools in the city also exceed the 20 µg/m³ threshold that the new European directive will establish from 2030. These centers include Nostra Llar (with 33.1 µg/m³), Teresa Claramunt (30.4 µg/m³), Joanot Alisanda (28.3 µg/m³), Miquel Martí i Pol (26.2 µg/m³), Ribatallada (24.5 µg/m³), and Enric Casasses (20.5 µg/m³).
“"The Ecologistes en Acció report directly points to road traffic as the main cause of this situation, especially in arteries with high vehicle density, such as Gran Via. Furthermore, they remind that the effects of nitrogen dioxide on health are particularly concerning for children."
Despite a 6.4% drop in nitrogen dioxide presence in Sabadell last year, according to figures from the Gran Via station, the city continues to record one of the worst air qualities in Catalonia. The Sabadell station is the second with the highest NO₂, only behind Barcelona's Eixample (29.1 µg/m³). The World Health Organization sets a daily limit of 25 µg/m³, and Sabadell exceeded this threshold for 184 out of 365 days last year, according to official data from the Generalitat.
