Newcastle upon Tyne air quality map

What interesting information about air quality is there on the air pollution map for Newcastle upon Tyne?

There is a lot of very interesting information about air quality on the air pollution map for Newcastle upon Tyne. The map page is very easy to find from the main city page. Clicking anywhere on the air pollution map will open another page which is dedicated to providing information about air quality in and around the city.

The first thing the user will notice is the overall colour of the map. This is a direct indication of the air quality. Currently, it is dark green which shows the air quality is “Moderate”. The colours range from pale green to dark maroon where the darker colours represent poorer air quality. The same colours are used across the entire IQAir website to avoid confusion. There are also some coloured discs dotted across the area. These show the locations of the ground-level air monitoring stations. They can all be explored further by selecting a disc which will open another page filled with information about that specific area of the city.

Each of these discs display a number at their centre. This is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. This reading is calculated by measuring the levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants found in the city air. These are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Once the figure has been verified, it is used as a standard when comparing air quality in different places across the globe. It is highly endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Looking back at the main city page, it is seen in the coloured banner at the top of the page that in December 2022 Newcastle upon Tyne was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 58. The main pollutant measured was PM2.5 with a recorded level of 15.5 µg/m³. At this level it is over three times the suggested target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

Directly below the air pollution map for Newcastle upon Tyne are listed the number of contributors there are that operate the stations in and around the city. Currently, there are five contributors who operate six stations. Four are on behalf of the government and the other one prefers to remain anonymous.

Does the air pollution map for Newcastle upon Tyne have any more valuable information about air quality?

There is a lot more valuable information about air quality but the page needs to be viewed in full-screen mode so that all the information is visible. To view the page in this way is easy by pressing the icon at the top of the screen. This will allow the page to occupy the full-screen and reveal all its secrets.

When viewed in this way, four options will be seen down the left-hand side of the screen. These can all be toggled on or off individually to get a good idea of what each one of them does.

The first option shows the location of all the ground-level air monitoring stations. If some appear to be covered by others, expanding the map slowly will reveal the ones that are partially hidden by others. Each of these individual stations can be explored independently by choosing the appropriate disc which will then appear as a new page filled with information about that part of the city.

The second option shows the location of any wildfires that might be burning out of control in the area. As of December 2022, there were no fires reported and therefore no icons on the map. If any fires were burning, then option number four needs to be investigated because it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and might give an indication of where the smoke might blow.

Option number three can be very interesting because it shows the current air quality by changing the background colour of the map to reflect it. It is currently dark green which tells the viewer that the air quality is “Moderate”. If the colour is too distractive, it can be deselected and the map will revert to a standard set of colours which might be easier to understand.

More information can be found on the right-hand side of the screen. Here, the viewer will see world ranking of participating cities throughout the world. Only seven are shown on the table but the subject can be explored in depth by choosing to see the world ranking section. This will open a new page which shows the ranking of all participating cities in descending order.

Is the source of pollution identified on the air pollution map for Newcastle upon Tyne?

The source of pollution is not directly shown on the air pollution map for Newcastle upon Tyne, however it is known that the leading cause of pollution is nitrogen dioxide which mainly comes from vehicle emissions. Newcastle has six sites out of ten in the entire north eastern area that exceed the national target figure of 40 µg/m³.

Air pollution is the main environmental threat to public health in the UK. More and more evidence shows links between ambient air pollutants, preventable diseases and health disparities. Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects due to their short height, developing lungs and higher rate of respiration.

Are areas of higher levels of pollution shown on the air quality map for Newcastle upon Tyne?

These areas can be identified by looking for the disc with the highest number or darkest colour. Or, by scrolling further down the page, a table will be seen that ranks the stations according to their levels of pollution. The most polluted station in December 2022 was at the Gateshead Tyne Bridge with a US AQI reading of 61 which was “Moderate”.

The next table shows the popularity of each station and the number of loyal followers they each have. Currently, the most popular is at Newcastle Centre with over 3,200 followers.