Edinburgh air quality map

Are air quality maps in use in Edinburgh?

There are indeed many different air quality monitoring stations feeding data to the air quality map that you see above for Edinburgh. This can now be viewed at any time of the day on the air quality map, or air pollution map as they are sometimes referred to. As Edinburgh has many days of great air cleanliness, inhabitants will be able to go about their lives without too many issues, although it is important to note that these can be subject to rapid changes and pollution levels can spike up for temporary periods quite significantly. As such, now that there are clear and concise air quality maps available for Edinburgh, those who wish to keep their pollution exposure to a minimum or keep their families safe can refer to the air pollution maps consistently.

What can air quality maps in Edinburgh tell you about what pollutants you may be breathing?

The air quality map for Edinburgh, and indeed every other city that is followed on the IQAir website, uses US AQI as its gauge for how polluted the air is. Whilst the map itself does not show the exact concentrations of the pollutants (which may be seen on the city page for Edinburgh, which also shows forecasts as well as pollution concentration levels), with a little bit of knowledge, users can view the air quality maps and understand the pollutants that they may be exposed to. US AQI itself is formed from carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, and PM2.5 and PM10. As such, when the pollution readings or US AQI readings on the air quality map are higher, it is far more likely that people in polluted areas, or areas that are experiencing a pollution spike, will be exposed to the above-mentioned pollutants, and may suffer the side effects related to these chemicals and their effects on the human body.

What health issues can be averted by the use of air pollution maps in Edinburgh?

Health issues that can be potentially avoided by having more in-depth knowledge about areas of higher pollution within the city of Edinburgh, delivered to users by the air quality map above, are both wide-ranging and in some cases severe, particularly for those that are more susceptible to health conditions or those that are already in a poor state of health. As is mentioned throughout the article, the air quality within Edinburgh remains exceptionally good for many months of the year, with many readings across the city and its extended areas falling well within the 'good' air quality rating bracket, which shows up as a green figure on the air pollution map above. Something that will also be referred to several times, is that despite having very good levels of air cleanliness, there are always chances that the condition of the atmosphere and how many contaminating particles are in it can take a turn for the worst, with pollutants such as ultrafine particles, smoke clouds, haze and smog along with the other chemical compounds that go into forming the US AQI figure all potentially filling the air within certain areas of the city. Factors such as lack of strong wind can cause accumulations to take place, driving up the US AQI figures on the pollution maps for Edinburgh.

Some health issues, to name them for reference, that may be averted are ones that fall into the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) bracket, namely asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and emphysema. For those that are in poor health and have other comorbidities such as being overweight or smokers, conditions under the COPD bracket can have very serious effects and can turn from simple infections of the respiratory tract into potentially terminal illnesses amongst the elderly or those with poor levels of health and other harmful habits. By referring to the readings on the air quality map and making sure that you are not in an area of Edinburgh that is currently experiencing a pollution spike, individuals may avoid these potential illnesses, along with reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, skin conditions, damage to reproductive health and even death, with many studies showing that excess pollution exposure can shorten life expectancy by a significant amount.

Are air pollution maps helpful for people living in Edinburgh?

As was mentioned in the first question, air quality maps in Edinburgh can help individuals in their daily life when they wish to avoid areas of high pollution, or keep an eye out for sudden spikes in the US AQI readings. Other ways in which they are helpful are in aiding certain decisions in day-to-day activities, which may include knowing when is the best time to undertake outdoor activities, particularly more strenuous ones such as jogging or other outdoor sports. If one runs through an area that has a higher level of pollution shown on the air quality map, the deep breaths taken can allow much higher quantities of extremely harmful pollutants to enter the lungs, and even into the bloodstream, causing a large number of health issues, some of which were also mentioned in the question above. Other ways in which air quality maps may be helpful are in determining a clear picture of which areas of Edinburgh have the worst levels of pollution, consistently throughout the year.

When air pollution maps show high readings over the course of the year, a multitude of sources are likely coming together to form these high readings, and as such, the US AQI reading is likely to stay high in this area year after year. This may include areas such as highways or even houses that are located near roads that have a high volume of traffic, particularly during rush hour times. Air quality map readings can also show elevated readings near industrial sites and other similar facilities (even construction sites and road repairs can contribute to the US AQI level shown on the air quality maps due to their release of many larger, or ultrafine fine particles into the atmosphere, not to mention fumes given off from heavy machinery). Decisions on where to live can also be made using the air quality maps, as families that have members with health issues, particularly when these health issues affect the lungs and heart, or the pulmonary or cardiac systems. Such people would benefit greatly from living in areas that are shown to be clean throughout the year on the air pollution maps. Edinburgh however, maintains a very good level of air quality throughout much of the year, and as such some of these precautions may not be necessary, although it can pay to have more caution than to have none at all, especially when health and quality of life are on the line. Checking the US AQI readings present on the air quality map for Edinburgh throughout the year can indeed help those with pre-existing health conditions and the general population.

In the rare event of natural or industrial related disasters, the air quality map will tend towards showing extremely high readings throughout the entire city, with the US AQI classifications shooting up to unhealthy ratings and beyond (all of which are color-coded for ease of recognition, either when referring to the city pages or the air quality map pages). As such, air pollution maps can help many different people living in Edinburgh to avoid excessive pollution exposure and allow them to make more informed decisions, due to the prevalence of the air quality monitoring facilities and the readings they are constantly feeding into the air quality maps data.