Jerusalem air quality map

Is there much information on the air pollution map for Jerusalem?

The air pollution map for Jerusalem is very easy to find once you are on the main city page. It can be seen opposite the main introductory sector at the top of the page. The first thing to notice is possibly the overall colour of the map’s background. At the start of July 2022, the overall colour was a greenish/yellow colour which would indicate “Moderate” air quality. The meaning of the various colours is explained in the legend at the foot of the page. Colours range from pale green which represents “Good” air quality through to dark maroon which indicates that the air could be “Hazardous”. Several coloured discs will also be seen superimposed over the city and some across the environs. If they seem to be on top of each other, the map can be expanded and the discs will begin to separate and be able to be seen more clearly.

A number can also be seen in the centre of the discs which is the US AQI reading. This is calculated by taking the measured levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants and can then be used as a metric when comparing different cities across the globe. It is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

If one of the discs is selected then another page will open which contains detailed information about the air quality in that particular part of the city.

Directly beneath the map is shown the number of stations from which the data is collected and also who the main contributors are. In Jerusalem there were seven stations providing data regarding air quality. One of the contributors was a government department and two of the others were educational bodies.

Looking back at the main page, it can be seen that over 30,000 people follow the city so will be updated as to any major change. The air quality in Jerusalem at the start of the third quarter of 2022 was “Good” with a US AQI reading of 17. The primary pollutant was PM2.5 with a level of just 4 µg/m³. This figure is below the suggested figure of 5 µg/m³ which is recommended by the WHO, although no level of air pollution should be considered to be safe!

What other interesting information is available on the air quality map for Jerusalem?

In order to see the full information contained within the air pollution map for Jerusalem, it is advisable to view it in full-screen mode. Once in full-screen mode, the user will see four options on the left-hand side of the page. These can be deactivated as and when required. The first option will show the position of all the ground-level air monitoring stations in and around the city. These are represented by coloured discs which, at first, may appear superimposed on top of each other, but once the map is expanded, these discs will separate and become easier to distinguish from one another.

The second option shows the position of any fires which are burning in the vicinity. During the third quarter of 2022, there were two fires shown on the map but both were far enough away so as not to affect the air quality in a dramatic way. Option four shows the direction of the prevailing winds which can be a good indication as to whether or not the smoke will drift across the city and contaminate its air.

The third option is the most dramatic as it can affect the entire colour of the map. The overall background colour reflects the air quality at that time. Some may find this a little confusing so once it is deactivated, the colours on the map revert to standard thus making it easier to read and understand.

On the right-hand side of the screen can be seen a table which ranks the world cities according to their air quality. The ones with the poorest air quality appear at the top of the list. Some cities on the list may surprise some people as they are not thought of as dirty cities.

Are areas of higher air pollution shown on the air pollution map for Jerusalem?

By looking at the various colours and numbers on the discs, the areas of higher air pollution can be identified by the higher numbers and darker colours. Alternatively, printed just below the map is a list of all the contributing stations in descending order of cleanliness. In July 2022, the most polluted station was Israel Aharon Fishel St with an AQI reading of 84 which is classified as being “Moderate”.

After continuing to scroll down the page, the next section ranks the stations according to the number of followers they have. The most popular one, currently is Yafo St with 4,650 followers.

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

The findings of the Ministry of Environmental Protection's air monitoring indicate that downtown residents are exposed to high levels of transportation air pollution. Transport air pollution includes exposure to the following substances: nitrogen oxides in general and nitrogen dioxide in particular, delicate breathing particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres - which can penetrate human respiratory systems, volatile organic compounds (benzene, formaldehyde 1 butadiene) and polyaromatic compounds.

The data show that particles emitted from diesel engines pose a high risk to health, as these particles have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres.

Diesel vehicles, such as buses and trucks, are the most polluting. They burn diesel and contribute to environmental pollution. 80 per cent of air pollution comes from diesel. Today, diesel is unequivocally the primary cause of pollution, so what needs to be addressed is diesel usage in private vehicles.

PM2.5 is always mentioned on the air pollution map for Jerusalem, but what is it?

Particulate Matter (PM), are small fragments of liquid or solid matter that are in a gas or liquid state. This term should be distinguished from aerosol, which refers to solid matter and gas particles together. Particulate matter sources may be natural or man-made. Common sources are flowers (contributing to pollen), fires (mainly from diesel engines), mining, construction (sand and metals) and natural sandstorms.

The term PM2.5 describes the amount of particulate matter whose aerodynamic diameter is less than 2.5 μm. These are common metrics for air quality, due to their broad health effects. These effects include coughing and irritation of the trachea and eyes. The larger the particle, the lower its danger because it is more likely to be caught by the nose or throat and exhaled by coughing or swallowing. Even at relatively low concentrations, cough symptoms are increased in short-term patients.