This indicator shows how many days per year were assessed to have air quality that was worse than “moderate” in Champaign County, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) Air Quality Index Reports. The period of analysis is 1980-2024, and the U.S. EPA’s air quality ratings analyzed here are as follows, from best to worst: “good,” “moderate,” “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” “unhealthy,” “very unhealthy,” and "hazardous."[1]

In 2024, the number of days rated to have air quality worse than moderate was 0. This is a significant decrease from the 13 days in 2023 in the same category, the highest in the 21st century. That figure is likely due to the air pollution created by the unprecedented Canadian wildfire smoke in Summer 2023.

While there has been no consistent year-to-year trend in the number of days per year rated to have air quality worse than moderate, the number of days in peak years had decreased from 2000 through 2022. Where peak years before 2000 had between one and two dozen days with air quality worse than moderate (e.g., 1983, 18 days; 1988, 23 days; 1994, 17 days; 1999, 24 days), the year with the greatest number of days with air quality worse than moderate from 2000-2022 was 2002, with 10 days. There were several years between 2006 and 2022 that had no days with air quality worse than moderate.

This data is sourced from the U.S. EPA’s Air Quality Index Reports. The reports are released annually, and our period of analysis is 1980-2024. The Air Quality Index Report websites does caution that "[a]ir pollution levels measured at a particular monitoring site are not necessarily representative of the air quality for an entire county or urban area," and recommends that data users do not compare air quality between different locations[2].

[1] Environmental Protection Agency. (1980-2024). Air Quality Index Reports. (Accessed 13 June 2025).

[2] Ibid.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency. (1980-2024). Air Quality Index Reports. https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/air-quality-index-report. (Accessed 13 June 2025).

Annual emissions of various air pollutants in the United States have experienced dramatic reductions over the past half a century. As of 2024, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) had reduced by more than 70 percent since 1970 to 6.9 million tons. Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions have also fallen dramatically in recent decades, dropping from 23 million tons to 1.6 million tons between 1990 and 2024. Air pollutants can pose serious health hazards to humans, with the number of air pollution related deaths in the U.S. averaging 63,000 a year.

Data on India's Air Quality - state-wise air pollution due to PM 2.5, ozone and solid fuels, deaths due to pollution, and comparison with global peers.

This image visually represents air quality data, including key pollutants such as CO, NOx, NO₂, O₃, SO₂, PM2.5, and PM10. It features an Air Quality Index (AQI) gauge, indicating the pollution level from good (green) to hazardous (red). The background showcases an urban cityscape, highlighting the impact of air pollution. Additional graphical elements like bar charts, clouds, and weather indicators (temperature, humidity, and wind speed) make this an informative and data-driven visualization for environmental monitoring and analysis.

Ideal for use as a header image in reports, dashboards, or presentations related to air quality prediction, pollution control, and environmental research. 🚀🌍💨

According to the monitoring data from the Embassy of the United States, there was on average 39 micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic meter to be found in the air in Beijing during 2023. The air quality has improved considerably since 2013.

Reasons for air pollution in Beijing

China’s capital city Beijing is one of the most populous cities in China with over 20 million inhabitants. Over the past 20 years, Beijing’s GDP has increased tenfold. With the significant growth of vehicles and energy consumption in the country, Beijing’s air quality is under great pressure from the economic development. In the past, the city had a high level of coal consumption. Especially in winter, in which coal consumption increased due to heating, the air quality could get extremely bad on the days without wind. In spring, the wind from the north would bring sand from Mongolian deserts, resulting in severe sandstorms in Beijing. The bad air quality also affected the air visibility and threatened people’s health. On days with very bad air quality, people wearing masks for protection can be seen on the streets in the city.

Methods to improve air quality in Beijing

Over the past years, the government has implemented various methods to improve the air quality in Northern China. Sandstorms, which were quite common 15 years ago, are now rarely seen in Beijing’s spring thanks to afforestation projects on China’s northern borders. The license-plate lottery system was introduced in Beijing to restrict the growth of private vehicles. Large trucks were not allowed to enter certain areas in Beijing. Above all, the coal consumption in Beijing has been restricted by shutting down industrial sites and improving heating systems. Beijing’s efforts to improve air quality has also been highly praised by the UN as a successful model for other cities. However, there is also criticism pointing out that the improvement of Beijing’s air quality is based on the sacrifice of surrounding provinces (including Hebei), as many factories were moved from Beijing to other regions. Besides air pollution, there are other environmental problems like water pollution that China is facing. The industrial transformation is the key to China’s environmental improvement.

The datasets contains date- and state-wise historically compiled data on air quality (by pollution level) in rural and urban areas of India from the year 2015 , as measured by Central Pollution Board (CPCB) through its daily (24 hourly measurements, taken at 4 PM everyday) Air Quality Index (AQI) reports.

The CPCB measures air quality by continuous online monitoring of various pollutants such as Particulate Matter10 (PM10), Particulate Matter2.5 (PM2.5), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Oxide or Oxides of Nitrogen (NO2), Ozone (O3), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ammonic (NH3) and Lead (Pb) and calculating their level of pollution in the ambient air. Based on the each pollutant load in the air and their associated health impacts, the CPCB calculates the overall Air Pollution in Air Quality Index (AQI) value and publishes the data. This AQI data is then used by CPCB to report the air quality status i.e good, satisfactory, moderate, poor, very poor and severe, etc. of a particular location and their related health impacts because of air pollution.

This horizontal bar chart displays news by source using the aggregation count. The data is filtered where the keywords includes Air-Pollution-Government policy.

In 2022, the pollution of PM10 in Malaysia reached around 19.78 microgram per cubic meter, a slight decrease compared to 20.51 microgram per cubic meter in the previous year. The annual guideline from World Health Organization (WHO) for PM10 is 15 microgram per cubic meter.

This dataset consists of all contributions made by Social AQI (SAQI) project. The description of dataset is as below -

Local Sensor Data (hyperlocal-air-quality-sensor-data) - contains all sensors values recorded through local neighbourhood sensors throught the length of the project
Locations for all these sensors are as below - In Najafgarh, Delhi, India : Jharoda Kalan, Nangli Dairy and DTC Bus terminal.
In Okhla : Sanjay Colony, Tekhand, Shaheen Bagh.

Data from Central Pollution Control Board (central-air-quality-sensor-data) - Najafgarh_CPCB.csv, Okhla_CPCB.csv : Contains data provided by CPCB from Najafgarh,Delhi and Oklha, Delhi

PollutionODP.owl : Ontology Design Pattern for pollution - http://ontologydesignpatterns.org/wiki/Submissions:Pollution.

Ontology : SAQI ontology as triples (ttl), xml (rdf) and json-ld (json) serialization format
Ontology documentation : ontology/diagram contains figures describing ontology, ontology/documentation/saqi.html contains LODE documentation for the ontology

ethnographic-survey-data - anonymized survey responses for initial pollution perception and literacy survey as well as SAQI app feedback survey.

SHACL-shapes - for validating against SAQI ontology.

sparql-queries - sample queries to run on our ontology.

setup-rdf-store-script - script to setup rdf store with given data using rml mapper.

This graph shows the evolution of the Citéair European index of air quality for the Paris agglomeration in the first week of December from 2011 to 2020. We learn that in the first week of December 2020, the index exceeded 40 four days out of seven, meaning moderate pollution.

The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program provides data and information to track Canada's performance on key environmental sustainability issues. The International comparison: air pollutant emissions in selected countries indicators provide emissions and emissions intensity for member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The emissions of 5 pollutants are reported: sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and fine particulate matter. These indicators help to inform Canadians about how Canada's emissions compare to those of other countries. The indicators report on key air pollutants that contribute to smog and acid rain and help the government to identify priorities, track progress, and develop strategies and policies for reducing or controlling air pollution. Information is provided to Canadians in a number of formats including: static and interactive maps, charts and graphs, HTML and CSV data tables and downloadable reports. See the supplementary documentation for the data sources and details on how the data were collected and how the indicator was calculated. Supplemental Information Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators - Home page: https://www.canada.ca/environmental-indicators

The size of the South America Air Quality Monitoring Market was valued at USD XX Million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD XXX Million by 2032, with an expected CAGR of 4.00">> 4.00% during the forecast period. The air quality monitoring sector in South America is witnessing an upward trend, primarily due to heightened awareness regarding environmental health and the imposition of regulatory measures aimed at enhancing air quality. The rapid pace of urbanization, industrial growth, and emissions from vehicles have contributed to the decline in air quality across numerous South American urban areas. This situation has prompted both governmental bodies and private organizations to allocate resources towards the establishment of air quality monitoring systems. These systems play a crucial role in identifying pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), while also ensuring adherence to environmental regulations. The demand for sophisticated air quality monitoring technologies is being propelled by government initiatives and international accords that emphasize environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the increasing public consciousness regarding the health repercussions of air pollution is motivating both governmental and non-governmental organizations to implement and utilize these monitoring systems. The market is characterized by a combination of conventional air quality sensors and innovative technologies, including real-time monitoring systems and cost-effective sensors that provide enhanced accessibility and detailed data. The market faces challenges such as the necessity for economical solutions and the integration of monitoring data into effective policymaking. Nevertheless, the South American air quality monitoring market is poised for growth, driven by the pressing need to combat air pollution, protect public health, and fulfill regulatory obligations for improved air quality. Recent developments include: February 2022: Colombia's capital issued an environmental alert as air quality deteriorated. Forest fires that raged for days in Colombia's Amazon put its Andean capital, Bogota, on an ecological alert as poor air quality spanned across the capital. The wind carried smoke from several fires blamed on armed groups about 350 km to the northwest, all the way to the Colombian capital. Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez announced that over half of the capital's air quality monitoring stations were off the charts for the past 48 hours.. Key drivers for this market are: 4., Uninterrupted and Reliable Power Supply and Heavy Deployment of DG (diesel generator) Set4.; Improvement in Technology of Diesel Generator. Potential restraints include: 4., The Growing Trend of Renewable Power Generation. Notable trends are: Indoor Monitor Segment to Witness Significant Growth.

The data shows roadside and background average readings for Nitric Oxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Oxides of Nitrogen, Ozone, Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and Sulphur Dioxide. Measured in Micrograms per Cubic Meter of Air (ug/m3). The spreadsheet shows which Index level each reading falls in, and contains charts showing pollutant levels by time of day per month.

Trend graphs of Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter PM2.5 are on the London Dashboard.

In the Mayor’s Air Quality Strategy, the Mayor adopted a policy to support the improvement of the air quality monitoring network in London so that it provides accurate and up to date information about air quality trends and current conditions in London. Publishing this data forms part of the delivery of that proposal, and also part of a larger push by the GLA towards transparency and sharing of information.

Each pollutant is measured every 15 minutes across the London Air Quality Network. Averages are calculated from these measurements. The averages shown here have been placed into the relevant DEFRA air quality index bands but are indicative only, and do not represent official air quality monitoring for European legislation.

The revised Daily Air Quality Index, published by DEFRA in April 2013, is used within this spreadsheet. More information about this can be found in DEFRA's report.

A review of the UK Air Quality Index by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants is available to read here.

A summary of air pollution definitions, sources, and consequences from a CIWEM report is available within the spreadsheet.

Link to GLA Air Quality page

This horizontal bar chart displays news by entities using the aggregation count. The data is filtered where the keywords includes Air-Pollution-Government policy.

The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program provides data and information to track Canada's performance on key environmental sustainability issues. The Air pollutant emissions indicators track emissions from human activities of 6 key air pollutants: sulphur oxides (SOX), nitrogen oxides (NOX), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Black carbon, which is a component of PM2.5, is also reported. Sectoral indicators on air pollutant emissions from transportation, off-road vehicles and mobile equipment, electric utilities and the oil and gas industry provide additional analysis on the largest sources of Canada's air pollutant emissions.For each air pollutant, the indicators are provided at the national and provincial/territorial levels. They also identify the major sources of emissions and provide links to detailed information on air pollutant emissions from facilities. The Air pollutant emissions indicators are intended to inform Canadians and decision makers about progress made towards reducing emissions from human-related sources of air pollutants and about the effectiveness of emission reduction measures in reducing emissions to improve ambient air quality in Canada. Information is provided to Canadians in a number of formats including: static and interactive maps, charts and graphs, HTML and CSV data tables and downloadable reports. See the supplementary documentation for the data sources and details on how the data were collected and how the indicator was calculated. Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: https://www.canada.ca/environmental-indicators

According to the monitoring data from the Consulate of the United States, there was on average 32.7 micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic meter to be found in the air in Shanghai during 2023. The air quality in Shanghai has improved significantly since 2013. However, air pollution increased again in 2023 compared to the previous year. This was most probably related to the lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions and transportation and production activities reaching pre-pandemic levels again.

The graph shows the level of concern about air pollution in Mexico as of May 2019. During a survey, 39.6 percent of the respondents with internet-connected smartphones considered air pollution to be a severe problem in their city or municipality.

Concentration Level of Main Pollutants for Measuring Air Quality by Year & Station.