Wroclaw air quality map

What information can be gathered from the air pollution map for Wroclaw?

The air pollution map for Wroclaw is accessed through the main city page by clicking on the map. This will open up a new page, dedicated to giving information about air quality in Wroclaw and its environs.

The first thing to notice is the overall colour of the page. At present, it is a greenish/yellow colour which reflects the overall air quality. The explanation about the meanings of the colours is explained in the legend at the foot of the page. The colours range from pale green which represents good air quality through to a dark maroon which indicates the worst classification of air quality.

The viewer will also see several coloured discs over the city which carry a number. This number is the US AQI reading from that particular station. This number is calculated by measuring up to six of the most prolific pollutants and is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is often used as a standard when comparing air quality in cities across the world. In June 2022, the US AQI reading for Wroclaw was 61 which indicated “Moderate” air quality. The main pollutant was PM2.5 with a level of 17 µg/m³. This is almost three and a half times higher than the target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO. With a level such as this, the advice given is to close doors and windows to prevent more dirty air from entering the rooms and those of a sensitive nature should avoid over-exposure outside until the situation improves.

Looking back at the air quality map for Wroclaw, on the left-hand side of the screen can be seen four options which can be deactivated if required. The first choice shows the position of the air monitors which appear on the map as a coloured disc with the US AQI number in the centre. The second option shows the location of any fires burning in the vicinity. When looking at the fourth option of wind direction, it can be seen if the ensuing smoke will affect the city or not. The third option shows the overall air quality by colouring the entire map with a representative colour. Once deactivated the map will take on more expected colours which some may find easier to understand.

Can any other information be gleaned from the air pollution map for Wroclaw?

When the main city page and the air pollution map for Wroclaw are read in conjunction with each other, the maximum amount of quality information will be gained.

Over on the right-hand side of the map page can be seen a table which ranks world cities according to their air quality. If this table is expanded, it will show you the complete list of world cities.

Underneath the IQAir map can be seen the number of stations there are which provide the data for the calculations and also the number of contributors there are. We can see three are government stations and three are operated by individuals.

The next list shows the stations ranked by the air quality starting with the lowest quality. Currently, it is the station at ul. Ks. Witolda with an AQI reading of 86 which is classified as being “Moderate”. After that they are listed in popularity with Wroclaw – Wisniowa being the most popular with just short of 30,000 followers.

Looking back to the main city page, there is a short weather forecast giving temperature, humidity, wind speed and air pressure, followed by the AQI forecast for the next few days.

Finally, there is a table which shows the current air quality in other Polish cities which can be interesting to compare this with your home city.

Is the source of the air pollution shown on the air quality map for Wroclaw?

The only way to ascertain where the areas of heavy pollution are is to identify the discs with the highest numbers on them. The highest number visible is for the station at ul. Ks. Witolda so that means it currently has the poorest air quality.

Today, air quality is one of the most pressing problems of civilization, and efforts to improve it constitute a significant challenge for governments and societies around the world. Using the term "air quality" we take into account the chemical composition of the air at a height of about two meters, the content of harmful substances in the air is analysed, and in the case of compounds that are constantly present in the air - their levels, which may be harmful if exceeded.

Wroclaw is a city noted for the absence of heavy industry. The main sources of air pollutant emissions are road transport, low emissions and a municipal heat and power plant. Road transport is particularly burdensome for the inhabitants of Wroclaw, as evidenced by the speed of driving in the city centre of 36 km/h, which leads to a higher concentration of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) along the main arterial routes in the city.

Air pollution from households is particularly noticeable within the densely populated downtown area where a large number of flats are not connected to the district heating system. Emission from heat and power plants in the city also contributes significantly to the level of PM10, especially during the heating season.

The air pollution map for Wroclaw often mentions PM2.5, but what is it?

Polluted air is a big problem for the inhabitants of Poland, especially those living in the southern part of the country. Smog hovering over cities is an unnatural atmospheric phenomenon, which is mainly caused by industrial plants, exhaust fumes produced by vehicles and domestic heating systems. It consists of various chemical compounds that pose a serious threat to human health.

PM2.5 fine particulate matter is very dangerous to human health. Their particle is equal to or smaller than 2.5 μm, therefore we have no chance to see or feel it. These particles pass freely into the respiratory system and then into the bloodstream. The permissible average annual concentration of PM2.5 dust is 10 μg/m³. On the other hand, it cannot exceed 25 μg/m³ within 24 hours. Their source is various types of combustion processes, e.g., in-home boiler rooms or during summer BBQ grilling.