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Our Planet's Air

Our Planet's Air is an interactive map visualising the different air pollutants in major cities using data from the World Air Quality Index.

The AQI(Air Quality Index) rating of each city is represented by a red circle varying in size based on the rating.

Only cities with populations exceeding three million are shown on the map

Instructions:

• Click each button to reveal each pollutant
• Click on the pollutant bubble to see which city it belongs to
• Click on each city to see the population and pollution numbers for each city
• Drag to pan and scroll to zoom on the map

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The pollutants in our air

O3(Ozone)

- Ground-level ozone, is “bad” because it can trigger a variety of health problems, particularly for children, the elderly, and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma.

CO(Carbon Monoxide)

- Breathing air with a high concentration of CO reduces the amount of oxygen that can be transported in the blood stream to critical organs like the heart and brain. At very high levels, which are possible indoors or in other enclosed environments, CO can cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and death. Very high levels of CO are not likely to occur outdoors. However, when CO levels are elevated outdoors, they can be of particular concern for people with some types of heart disease.

SO2(Sulfur Dioxide)

- Short-term exposures to SO2 can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing difficult. People with asthma, particularly children, are sensitive to these effects of SO2. SO2 emissions that lead to high concentrations of SO2 in the air generally also lead to the formation of other sulfur oxides (SOx). SOx can react with other compounds in the atmosphere to form small particles. These particles contribute to particulate matter (PM) pollution.

NO2(Nitrogen Dioxide)

- Breathing air with a high concentration of NO2 can irritate airways in the human respiratory system. Such exposures over short periods can aggravate respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, leading to respiratory symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing), hospital admissions and visits to emergency rooms.

PM10/PM2.5(Particulate Matter)

- Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream. Of these, particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, also known as fine particles or PM2.5, pose the greatest risk to health.

Information found on the EPA website