Infamously known as stack city, Mount Isa is the host of copper, lead, zinc and silver mines, with Mount Isa Mines located on the opposite side of the highway to the town.

According to ACF, Mount Isa Mines is Australia's biggest polluter of sulphur dioxide and operator Glencore is responsible for 91 per cent of the town's emissions.

The ACF's analysis looked at National Pollutant Inventory emission data, collected annually from power stations, mines and manufacturing plants across the country.

It focused on locations emitting the largest amounts of five pollutants: sulfur dioxide, mercury, coarse and fine particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides.

This is not the first time the ACF has listed Mount Isa as a the top spot of pollution in Australia, after the organisation reported the same findings in 2018.

Australian Conservation Foundation economy and democracy program manager Matt Rose said the data was "not perfect" as it only counted pollution emitted from industrial activities and not vehicle emissions.

"The database is incomplete because traffic volumes and traffic pollution is not included," Mr Rose said.

"Traffic pollution is definitely more of an issue but I don't think you can discount the fact that these industrial facilities are producing certain types of pollutants that you don't have from traffic pollution and people need to be aware of that."

Mount Isa Mines operates 12 compliance air quality monitoring stations across the area, seven of which monitor heavy metals, including lead.

Katter Australia Party leader and Mount Isa resident, Robbie Katter, slammed the foundation's findings.

"I immediately question the validity of these statements and my mind turns to massive new housing estates that I go past in Brisbane that are pumping more people into an already concentrated area, all of whom have vehicle emissions," Mr Katter said.

"I'm a lot more concerned about what I'm breathing in when I go to Brisbane than I am when I'm out here in Mount Isa, amongst the kangaroos and the birds and I only live a few kilometres from the mine."

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