Study shows Kitchener residents breathing in equivalent of 115 cigarettes a year

The study was conducted by an American air quality company called 'House Fresh'. The research compares air pollution right across the globe.

The information was taken from an air quality monitoring system located at Victoria Park and provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

According to the study, Montreal is the most polluted city in the country, with residents breathing in the equivalent of 124 cigarettes a year.

Windsor came in at second place with 123 cigarettes a year, Hamilton was third with 116, and Kitchener was fourth with 115.

Eight of the sixteen Canadian cities listed as the largest polluters are located across Ontario, including Ottawa, London and Mississauga.

The worst polluters come from the Prairies, Quebec and cities near the American border.

The research also shows that 86 per cent of Canadians live in areas where air pollution exceeds World Health Organization guidelines.

However, the study did explain that Canada has some of the best air quality in the world.

The largest polluter in the world is Dhaka in Bangladesh, with residents breathing in the equivalent of 1,176 cigarettes a year.