Friends of the Earth have revealed Scotland's most polluted streets Scotland's most polluted streets have been identified by an environmental organisation. Hope Street in Glasgow has the most serious nitrogen dioxide problem, which is linked to asthma. Aberdeen's Market Street was the worst for particulate matter pollution, which experts say leads to higher risk of a heart attack. The research was undertaken by Friends of the Earth. They analysed data showing three key pollutants in Scotland's commuter streets. Hope Street had the highest level of nitrogen dioxide, 65 microgrammes for every cubic metre. That was over the European legal limit of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre. Paisley's Central Road, Seagate in Dundee, St John's Road in Edinburgh and Wellington Road in Aberdeen also scored highly. The organisation also looked at the amount of particles in the air. The Scottish air quality objective is 18 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic metre. But at sites throughout Scotland, the levels found were much higher. Aberdeen's Market Street topped the poll, with 27 microgrammes per cubic metre of air, while the city's Wellington Road came second with 24. Atholl Street in Perth, Hope Street in Glasgow, Salamander Street in Edinburgh and Union Street in Aberdeen were also high on the list. Emilia Hanna, Air Pollution Campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:"Air pollution has remained the biggest environmental threat to people in Scotland in 2013. Fumes from cars, lorries, buses and factories are killing off more people than car crashes. Air pollution is like passive smoking, we do not choose to breathe in this poisonous air, it is inflicted upon us. This year, as Scotland hosts the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and people talk of the legacy of the games for youngsters here and across the participating nations, potential athletes of the future need clean air, not an increased risk of developing conditions such as asthma. Some of these targets were set in the nineties and supposed to be met in 2005, yet we still have air pollution at dangerous levels on streets across Scotland. Both the Scottish Government and our local authorities are only just beginning to take this seriously and between them they need to act urgently to make Scotland's air fit to breathe. We need action on traffic levels and the types of vehicles allowed on our most polluted streets. We need more investment in walking and cycling so that it is easier for people to leave their cars at home, we need cleaner and more affordable public transport, and we need to discourage the most polluting vehicles, including through the use of Low Emission Zones. Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: "The Scottish Government is committed to working with partner agencies such as local authorities to tackle air quality in areas where it is a problem. While we have seen nationally a 65% decrease in nitrogen oxides, a 78% decrease in sulphur dioxide and a 58% decrease in particulates between 1990 and 2011, we recognise that more can be done. That is why we recently consulted on proposals for further action to improve air quality and expect to set out next steps later this year. Top 14 most polluted streets for nitrogen dioxide in 2013. Figures in microgrammes per cubic metre Glasgow Hope Street - 65 Paisley Central Road - 61 Dundee Seagate - 58 Edinburgh St John's Road - 57 Aberdeen Wellington Road - 52 South Lanarkshire Raith Interchange - 51 Dundee Meadowside - 51 Dundee Lochee Road - 50 Aberdeen Union Street - 49 Perth Atholl Street - 49 Glasgow Dumbarton Road - 46 Glasgow Byres Road - 45 Edinburgh Queensferry Road - 45 Aberdeen Market Street - 44 Top 17 most polluted streets for particulate matter (PM10) in 2013. Aberdeen Market Street - 27 Aberdeen Wellington Road - 24 Perth Atholl Street - 23 Glasgow Hope Street - 23 Edinburgh Salamander Street - 22 Aberdeen Union Street - 21 North Ayrshire Irvine High Street - 21 Glasgow Dumbarton Road - 20 Falkirk West Bridge Street - 20 Crieff West High Street - 20 Falkirk Kilsyth Road - 19 Aberdeen King Street - 19 South Lanarkshire Rutherglen (Main Street) - 19 Edinburgh Queensferry Road - 19 North Lanarkshire Chapelhall (Main Street) - 19 West Lothian Newton (A904) - 19 Dundee Meadowside - 19