Regional Indicator 11: Air Quality

	Why It's Important Air quality has direct effects on human health. Fine particulates may affect breathing, aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular disease, alter the body's defense systems and damage lung tissue. Both premature mortality and emergency hospital visits may increase during times of high concentrations of fine particulates.

Regional Indicator Eleven is measured by the amount of fine particulate matter in the air. Fine particulates include dust, dirt, liquid droplets and smoke. Factories, cars, power plants, construction activity, and numerous other sources emit fine particulates. Lower levels earn better ranks.

The three best-performing regions in 2007, in order, were Powell River, Nanaimo and Abbotsford.

Over the 2002 through 2007 period, Powell River had the lowest annual average concentration of particulates (PM2.5) at 3.4 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³). Nanaimo had the next lowest with 4.3 µg/m³.

Vancouver and Victoria came in at 5.5 µg/m³ and 5.8 µg/m³, respectively. Prince George and Kamloops had the highest annual average concentration of particulate matter at 8.8 µg/m³ and 5.8 µg/m³, respectively.

Although only four locations are presented in the figure, the full set of data is available on our website.