The European city air quality viewer, produced by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which compiles data from more than 340 cities, has shown that the air quality in only 11 European cities ranked as good between 2020 and 2021.
The cities have been ranked from the cleanest to the most polluted based on levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
The viewer can be used to check air quality and long-term concentrations of, and exposure to, PM2.5.
A ‘good’ ranking means air quality met World Health Organization standards and that residents’ exposure to PM2.5 was fewer than five micrograms (a millionth of a gram) per cubic meter of air.
However, the EU’s annual limit for PM2.5, which is 25 micrograms per cubic meter, was only exceeded in three cities, Nowy Sacz in Poland and Cremona and Padova in Italy.
The National Emission Reduction Commitments directive mandates that all EU states meet certain standards to reduce emissions of the five main air pollutants to ensure clean air and public health.
The five air pollutants are P10 and P2.5, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide.
According to the EEA, Europe’s best cities for air quality – between 2020-21 – were Umeå in Sweden and Faro and Funchal in Portugal.
