Air quality in Milan

What is the air quality index of Milano?

Milano is a large city in northern Italy and is capital of the Lombardy province. The built-up area which extends the metropolitan area has a total population of 5.27 million inhabitants.

The air quality index for Milano in 2019 for PM2.5 particulate matter was 23.3 µg/m³, compared to 22.1 µg/m³ in 2018 and 27.8 µg/m³ in 2017. For 8 months of the year, the air quality can be classed as “Moderate”, 12.1 – 35.4 µg/m³ according to figures recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). For 2 months it is “Good” 10 – 12 µg/m³ but in January and February, it was “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” with figures between 35.5 and 55.4 µg/m³.

Why is Milano so polluted?

Traffic today is responsible for about half of the production of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) present in the atmosphere, while it contributes only 20 per cent to the fine particulate matter present in the air. The percentage drops to 1 per cent considering ammonia (NH₃) as a pollutant. The attention of those who care about these issues should also focus on heating which contributes to 9 per cent of the production of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and for 56 per cent on the diffusion of fine particles, which are so often at the centre of debates when it comes to cars. Finally, it is agriculture that is responsible for 97 per cent of ammonia (NH₃) emissions, which also causes the formation of secondary particulate, fine dust that is created directly in the atmosphere due to chemical reactions. Car manufacturers in recent years have made great strides as clearly emerges from the historical series on pollution in the city.

Is air pollution in Milano getting worse?

In recent decades we have seen a clear improvement in the quality of the air we breathe, also thanks to the technological innovations introduced in the automotive world. Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) have practically disappeared from the atmosphere. Observing the trend of fine dust in a city like Milano, we observe a clear decrease: it goes from an average concentration of 55 µg / m³ in 2005 to 35 µg / m³ in 2019. If you choose to consider the days of exceeding the European limits of PM10 went from 152 in 2005 to 72 in 2019.

The world of the car has contributed in large part to obtaining these results. An industry that has been able to significantly reduce its environmental impact thanks to technological innovations such as the introduction of the catalytic converter and anti-particulate filters, up to today the Euro6 D-Temp engines that will contribute to a drastic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) even the much-maligned diesel, and above all the arrival of hybrid and electric engines that represent the present and the future of mobility, especially urban mobility.

What can be done to improve the air quality in Milano?

Following in the footsteps of Rome and Padua, a mural has been created in Milano that captures and neutralizes the pollution and fine dust present in the air. The mural is called "Anthropoceano" and was created by Federico Massa Iena Cruz in collaboration with the non-profit organisation Worldrise.

The paint used is called “Airlite”, a capable nanotechnology that is activated by direct sunlight and reduces the percentage of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, benzene, formaldehyde, by 88 per cent. It equates to the equivalent of about 330 square meters covered with trees. By transforming the walls into a natural purifier, the greater the quantity of paint, the greater the positive absorption effect. It is expected that the paint will remain effective for at least 10 years.

In the facade of a residential complex nòvAmpère, 3000 square meters of concrete panels have been used in the construction. These special panels are “smog-eating” because they are made with cement i.active Techno of Italcementi containing TX Active, the active photocatalytic principle for cement products able to remove pollutants, namely nitrogen oxide (NO) present in the air.

This dynamic product is made mostly from recycled materials and each area of 1,000 square meters is the equivalent of planting 80 trees which in turn remove the air pollution caused by 30 vehicles.

What are the effects on health through breathing in Milano’s polluted air?

Since 2020, the year of the expected global ecological turning point, the Lombard capital has constantly exceeded the alert levels for fine dust, set at 50 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic meter) on a daily basis for PM10 and at 25 µg/m³ of the annual average for PM2. 5. As reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), atmospheric particulate matter - known precisely by the initials PM - is a complex mixture, made of solid and liquid particles of organic and inorganic substances, which are suspended in the air. These particles are the result of natural processes (such as soil erosion, forest fires or volcanic eruptions) but also and above all of human activities, mainly combustion for energy production and wear of tyres and brakes. Fine particles remain in the atmosphere for a long time and can also be transported over a great distance from the place where they are emitted.

Their danger to human health is dictated by their composition and by the fact that they can carry on their surface other even more dangerous pollutants, such as heavy metals. But the biggest pitfall lies paradoxically in their small size: the smaller they are, the more harmful the particulate matter is as it penetrates deeply into our lungs. While in fact the PM10, or particles with a diameter of less than 10 microns, stop in the mucous membranes and can cause irritation, allergies and bronchitis, the PM2.5 - which can even measure less than 0.1 microns in diameter - are absorbed from the pulmonary alveoli and potentially from the blood and are therefore closely related to the onset of tumours and cardiovascular as well as respiratory diseases. In 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified particulate matter as class 1 carcinogen, thus ascertaining its link with cancer. PM2.5, the most dangerous, represent 50-70 per cent of fine dust in Europe.