Burnaby air quality map

What interesting information about air quality is to be found on the air pollution map for Burnaby?

The air pollution map for Burnaby is very accessible from the main city page. The map icon is found at the top of the page and a click anywhere on the icon will open up the new page which is dedicated to air quality around the city.

Possibly, one of the first effects a viewer will notice is the overall colouration of the map. This is a reflection of the general quality of the air at that given time. Currently, it is a greenish/yellow which indicates “Moderate” air quality. A full explanation of all the colours used on the site can be seen in the legend at the foot of the page. Another noticeable thing is the number of coloured circles there is dotted across the page. These represent the location of the various ground-level air monitoring stations. Each disc displays a number in the centre which is the US AQI reading for that station. This United States Air Quality Index number (US AQI) is calculated by measuring up to six of the most prolific pollutants found in city air. These usually include Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. This figure can then be used as a standard when comparing air quality in different cities around the world.

If any of the discs look of particular interest, then by clicking on that particular disc will open another page filled with information provided by that station and that area of the city.

Briefly looking back at the main city page, it can be seen that Barnaby was going through a period of “Moderate” air quality at the start of October 2022. The main pollutant measured was PM2.5 with a recorded level of 15.6 µg/m³. This is just over three times higher than the recommended target figure of 5 µg/m³ as suggested by the WHO.

Just below the air pollution map for Burnaby can be seen the number of stations that provide the air quality data. Currently, there are three of them; two operated and controlled by the government and one provided by an anonymous entity.

What other useful information can be gathered from the air pollution map for Burnaby?

In order to reap all information from the map, the page needs to be viewed in full-screen mode or some items will remain invisible. Once viewed in this way, a drop-down table should be seen on the left-hand side of the screen. This gives the viewer four options to look at which can be toggled on or off, as wanted.

The first option shows the location of all the ground-level air monitoring stations which are probably not all relevant to Barnaby city but appear in the wider picture. If they appear superimposed on top of each other, they will begin to separate once the map is expanded.

The second option shows any wildfires that might be burning in the area. There are currently three of these icons on the map but none are really close to the city. By checking option four which gives the wind speed and direction, it can be seen that the wind will blow the ensuing smoke away from the city for all three locations.

Option number three is the most dramatic as it changes the background colour of the map to directly reflect the air quality. Some viewers may find this too overpowering so by deactivating this option, the map will revert to a more recognisable set of colours which is possibly easier to understand.

Over on the far right-hand side of the screen can be seen a table which displays world cities which have been ranked according to their levels of air pollution.

There is more information to be found just below the active map. The first set of information ranks the stations according to their levels of air pollution and the second set lists the stations according to how popular they are with the number of followers they have. Currently the most popular is at Burnaby North with over 10,000 followers.

The most polluted station is at Buller Avenue which returned a US AQI reading of 60 which shows the air quality in that region to be “Moderate”.

Is it possible to see the source of the polluted air on the air quality map for Burnaby?

The source of the polluted air is not shown on the air pollution map for Burnaby. However, air pollution can be an ever-changing mix of pollutants. Chemicals such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, metals (arsenic, lead), certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as butane, ethanol or benzene, or hydrocarbons (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – PAHs) present in coal, oil, or from the combustion of fossil fuels or wood can all enter the atmosphere. Even natural occurring pollutants which can include pollen and moulds together with soil erosion and volcanic eruptions also enter the air as pollution.

We see PM2.5 used as a benchmark on the air pollution map for Barnaby, but how dangerous is it?

In 2016, ambient (outdoor) air pollution in cities and rural areas was estimated to be responsible for 4.2 million premature deaths per year worldwide; this mortality is due to exposure to fine particles of 2.5 microns in diameter or less (PM2.5), which cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as cancers.

The findings of an assessment by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) indicated that outdoor air pollution was carcinogenic to humans, particles in polluted air being very closely associated with the increase in the incidence of cancers, in particular lung cancer. An association has also been observed between outdoor air pollution and increased incidence of urinary tract/bladder cancers.

Particular materials are a common indirect indicator of air pollution. They affect more people than any other pollutant. The main components are sulphates, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust and water. They consist of a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles of organic and mineral substances suspended in the air. While particles with a diameter not exceeding 10 microns (≤ PM10) can penetrate and lodge deep inside the lungs, those with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 microns (≤ PM2.5) are even more harmful to health. These can cross the pulmonary barrier and enter the bloodstream.

Even at low concentrations, polluting particles have repercussions on health; no threshold has been identified below that they do not affect health. This is why the limits recommended in the WHO global guidelines aim to achieve the lowest possible particulate concentrations.