ETC/ATNI Report 7/2021: Status report of air quality in Europe for year 2019, using validated data

This report presents summarized information on the status of air quality in Europe in 2019, based on validated air quality monitoring data officially reported by the member and cooperating countries of the EEA. It aims at informing on the status of ambient air quality in Europe in 2019 and on the progress towards meeting the European air quality standards for the protection of health in the Ambient Air Quality Directives and the World Health Organization air quality guidelines. The report also compares the air quality status in 2019 with the previous three years.

31 Aug 2021

Jaume Targa, Anna Ripoll, Lorena Banyuls, Alberto González Ortiz, Cristina Guerreiro

Prepared by:

Jaume Targa (4sfera Innova), Anna Ripoll (4sfera Innova), Lorena Banyuls (4sfera Innova), Alberto González Ortiz (European Environment Agency), Cristina Guerreiro (Norwegian Institute for Air Research)

This report presents summarized information on the status of air quality in Europe in 2019, based on validated air quality monitoring data officially reported by the member and cooperating countries of the EEA. It aims at informing on the status of ambient air quality in Europe in 2019 and on the progress towards meeting the European air quality standards for the protection of health, as well as the WHO air quality guidelines. The report also compares the air quality status in 2019 with the previous three years. The pollutants covered in this report are particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), O3, NO2, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), SO2, CO, benzene and toxic metals (As, Cd, Ni, Pb). Measured concentrations above the European air quality standards for PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO2 were reported by 21, 7, 24, and 22 European countries for 2019, respectively. Exceedances of the air quality standards for BaP, SO2, CO, and benzene were measured in, respectively, 14, 6, 3, and two European countries in 2019. Exceedances of European standards for toxic metals were reported by one country for Cd and Pb and by three countries for As and Ni.