Dimitris Kouimtsidis
A TOWN in Castilla y Leon has been named as the least polluted town not only in Spain, but in Europe too.
Villalba de Guardo with its only 228 inhabitants sits on the bank of the Carrion river and has the cleanest air on the continent according to the World Air Quality Report by IQAir AirVisual.
IQAir AirVisual is the world’s largest platform for information on ambient air quality.
It is based on the analysis of the average concentration of ultrafine particles most of which come from emissions from diesel vehicles, the industry, heating and burning of coal.
In the case of Villalba de Guardo, said concentration is 3.8 microns per cubic metre, being the lowest index in Europe, tied first with Bodo in Norway and Salao in Portugal.
The average concentration in Spain is 9.7, ranking 82nd on the list of countries worldwide.
This list includes 98 countries, with the most polluted countries being placed at the top and those with clean air at the bottom.
The reasons why the town in Palencia province leads the rankings, is the nature that surrounds it, between peaks, valleys, lush vegetation and hiking trails, along with its ornithology and wine tourism, while also being only two steps from the Palentina mountain.
