Stuttgart air quality map

What interesting information about air quality can be seen on the air pollution map for Stuttgart?

The air pollution map for Stuttgart is very easy to access from the main city page. The map icon appears at the top of this main page and clicking anywhere over the icon will open a new page which is dedicated to the air quality in and around the city.

The overall colour is something to take notice of as it is a direct reflection of the state of the air. Currently, it is a green colour which indicates “Good” air quality. The viewer will also see several coloured discs scattered across the map. These show the location of the ground-level air monitoring stations which provide the data about air quality. The meaning of the various colours used is shown in the legend at the bottom of the page. The colours are standard and are found throughout the entire IQAir website. They range from green to dark maroon. The darker the colour, the worse the air quality.

In the centre of each of these discs can be seen a number, this is the United States Air Quality Index figure or US AQI for short. It is calculated by measuring the levels of six of the most prolific pollutants found in the air. These usually consist of both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide. Once decided, it is used as a metric when making comparisons with other cities across the globe and is fully backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

If a disc is close to an area of specific interest, by selection, a new page will open which has many more details about the air quality in that particular area of the city.

Looking back at the main city page, it can be seen that at the end of October 2022, Stuttgart was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 53. The main pollutant measured was PM2.5 with a level of 13 µg/m³. This is just over two and a half times the recommended level of 5 µg/m³, as encouraged by the WHO.

Looking just below the air pollution map for Stuttgart can be seen the number of stations there is that supply all the data as well as the number of contributors there are. There are currently five stations supplied and operated by three contributors. One of these is from the government, one is an individual provider and the third one prefers to remain anonymous.

Is there much more valuable information on the air pollution map for Stuttgart?

There is more information on the air pollution map for Stuttgart but the screen needs to be viewed at a maximum size so as to see all the information on it. The icon to view the screen in this way can be seen at the top of the page.

Once viewed in this way, a list of four options will appear on the far-left side of the screen. These can all be looked at individually so as to get a better idea of what each one does.

The first option shows the position of all the monitoring stations in the area. Some may not be over Stuttgart but still appear on the larger scale map. Each disc can be selected if that area of the city is of particular interest and a new page will open regarding air quality in that zone.

The second option would show the location of any wildfires which may happen to be burning in the vicinity. At the end of October 2022, there were no fires on the map. If any fires are detected then option four needs to be considered as it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and may give a good indication as to where the smoke from the fires will blow.

The third option could be the most dramatic because it can alter the background colour of the map. It is currently a greenish/yellow which shows the air quality as being “Moderate”. Some viewers may find this confusing or distracting so deactivating it will make the map revert to a set of standard colours which might be easier to understand.

More information can be seen on the right-hand side of the screen where a table is shown which ranks the world cities according to their levels of air cleanliness. Seven cities are listed by default but more can be seen by opening another page from the link contained within.

How can the most polluted areas be identified from the air pollution map for Stuttgart?

The most heavily polluted areas can be identified by either looking for the disc with the highest number or darkest colour or by looking directly under the map where a list will be seen that ranks all the stations according to their levels of pollution.

Currently, out of the five stations, the one located at Bad Cannstatt is the most polluted area of the city with a US AQI reading of 59 which is classified as being “Moderate”.

Below this table is another which ranks the stations in accordance with their popularity. The most popular one is at Arnulf Klett Platz with almost 17,000 loyal followers.

Can the source of the polluted air be seen on the air quality map for Stuttgart?

The source of the air pollution cannot be directly identified from the air quality map for Stuttgart, however, the main source of nitrogen oxides in the city is road traffic, and diesel cars in particular. Only modern diesel cars that comply with the Euro 6d-TEMP and Euro 6d emission standards emit significantly less nitrogen oxides, not only on the test bench, but also on the road.

Measures for other source groups should also be examined. These include a ban on the burning of garden waste, the renewed establishment of a ban on burning solid fuels and restrictions on dust-intensive companies and construction sites on days with high air pollution and emission reduction or restrictions on off-road devices and machines.

Reduction potentials in the area of construction site logistics and in the industrial and household fuel sector are also being examined and partially used to improve the pollution situation (e.g., dust reduction concepts for large construction sites).