In the latest annual update on air quality in European cities, 761 cities were ranked based on the quality of the air breathed by their residents. The cleanest air is in Oulu. In addition to Oulu and Tampere, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Espoo and Lahti are among the top ten for air quality.
The comparison aimed to reflect the actual exposure of the average resident, using weighted averages. Cities were ranked according to the level of health risk posed to their residents by long-term exposure. The assessment took into account three key pollutants: fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ground-level (tropospheric) ozone.
Cities in Finland and the Nordic countries fare well in the rankings because, by European standards, they are less densely populated. Low concentrations and low population density improved the ranking of Finnish cities in the comparison. Attention is focused on long-term exposure because it causes the most serious health effects.
Finland’s good air quality is also due to its location, emission sources and stricter standards. Smoke from wildfires in Central and Eastern Europe, for example, rarely drifts as far as Finland. The same applies to smoke from heavy industry in Europe.
Compared with the rest of Europe, traffic volumes are also moderate. Standards affecting fuel quality, engine technology and emissions have become stricter year on year, and the vehicle fleet has been renewed.
– Even the problems with street dust in spring have been minimal over the last couple of springs – thanks to weather conditions and successful maintenance, says Ari Elsilä, an environmental inspector with the City of Tampere.
It is also worth noting that emissions from energy production in Tampere have decreased year on year. This is despite the fact that emissions from chimneys do not remain close to the ground but are diluted in the upper layers of the atmosphere
Measures aimed at reducing air pollution have improved air quality in Europe over the last three decades. However, air pollution continues to pose risks to human health in most European cities.
