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- Reviewing progress
- List of indicators
- Indicator 61
Creating sustainable communities and a fairer world
61. Air quality and health
(a) annual levels of particles and ozone, 1990 to 2008
(b) days when air pollution is moderate or higher, 1990 to 2008
| PM10 concentrations - urban since: | 1993 |
 |
2003 |
|
| PM10 concentrations - roadside since: | 1990 |
 |
2003 |
|
| Urban ozone concentrations since: | 1992 |
 |
2003 |
|
| Rural ozone concentrations since: | 1990 |
 |
2003 |
|
- The two types of air pollution believed to have the most significant impacts on public health are long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM10) and daily peak ozone levels.
- Annual average particulate levels have been steadily decreasing since monitoring began in 1993. There is an upward trend in background urban ozone levels, which may be due to the reduction in urban emissions of nitrogen oxides that destroy ozone close to their emission source.
- The number of days when air pollution was assessed as being moderate or higher was lower in 2008 than in 1990 for rural areas and 1993 for urban areas (first available data). However, both rural and urban sites show a high degree of variability between years.
- The weather can cause significant variation from year to year in the number of days of moderate or higher air pollution. The hot summer and other pollution episodes in 2003 and 2006 led to an unusually high number of pollution days.
Updated: 30 July 2009