The air we breathe is vital to our health and well-being. Concentrations of air pollutants depend upon both local and long-distance sources. A major contributor is road traffic. These emissions occur at road level, where people are exposed. During the last 20 years, air quality in the region has become much better. This is mostly due to the development of district heating and the installation of catalytic convertors into vehicles. However, problems still exist with regard to particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone.

Monitoring of concentrations
Concentrations of air pollutants are measured continuously at a number of stations within the Air Quality Management Association’s area of operation. Measurements are taken at locations chosen to be representative for the general air quality, and also at a number of worst-case locations. In addition to the air quality information provided by monitoring, concentrations are also calculated using dispersion models. Dispersion models give a good estimation of how air pollutant concentrations are distributed, and also enable the description of both extreme conditions and yearly mean values during long time periods. Models also allow predictions to be carried out for future concentrations following, for example, a road building project or new developments.