Mexico City air quality map

Live air pollution map of Mexico City

334.2K people follow this city

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Good
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Unhealthy for sensitive groups
Unhealthy
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Contributors

3

Stations

3

Contributors category

0

Government

0

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0

Educational

0

Corporate

0

Individual

3

Anonymous

Most polluted air quality stations

#stationUS AQI
1 Avenida Sur de Los 100 Metros

111

2 Avenida Sur de Los

104

3 Avenida Insurgentes Norte

99

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Mexico City most followed contributors

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Comprehensive summaries and real-time analyses of the air quality, pollution levels, and forecasts for Mexico City.



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Mexico City MAP AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS

Is there a lot of information about air quality on the air pollution map for Mexico City?

There is a wealth of information about air quality on the air pollution map for Mexico City which is easy to access from the main city page. The map icon is at the top of this page and clicking anywhere on it will open it up as a separate page filled with interesting information.

One of the first things to notice will be the colour of the map. It is interactive and reflects the quality of the air at that moment in time. Currently, it is green which indicates “Good” air quality. The significance of the various colours used is explained in the legend at the bottom of the page. The colours range from pale green to dark maroon. The darker the colour, the worse the air quality.

The viewer will also notice many coloured circles dotted across the map. These represent the locations of all the ground-level air monitoring stations around the city and the immediate area. They each display a number at their centre which is the United States Air Quality Index number or US AQI in short. This number is calculated by taking measurements for the top six most commonly found pollutants in the city air. These are nearly always Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide. Once calculated this figure is then used as a metric when comparing air quality in different cities. It is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

If any area is of specific interest, clicking on that disc will open a new page which is dedicated to that particular place and shows all the information held by that station.

Looking back at the main city page, it can be seen that during October 2022 Mexico City was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 58. The main pollutant measured was PM2.5 with a level of 15.3 µg/m³. This is over three times the suggested target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

Immediately beneath the air pollution map for Mexico City are shown the contributors and the number of stations that they operate. Currently, there are nine contributors operating fourteen stations, two of the contributors are from the government whilst the remaining seven wish to remain anonymous.

Can the most polluted are be seen on the air pollution map for Mexico City?

The most polluted areas can be identified by looking for the discs with the highest number on display and the darkest colour. Alternatively, directly below the map is a table which lists the stations in order of their cleanliness. Currently, the most polluted area of the city is around the Santa Fe station which shows a US AQI figure of 117.

Leading on from that, the next table shows the popularity of the various stations and shows the number of people who “follow” them. The most popular is currently the Merced station with almost 12,000 followers.

Is there any more information about air pollution on the air quality map for Mexico City?

There is more information about air quality on the air pollution map for Mexico City but the map needs to be viewed in full-screen mode or some of the information might remain covered due to lack of space on the screen.

On the far left of the screen will be a list of four options which can all be turned on or off individually so as to get a clear idea of what each of them does.

The first option shows the location of all the ground-level air monitoring stations in and around the city. These can all be individually selected to reveal the information about that part of the city.

The second option shows the position of any wildfires that might be burning in the vicinity. During October 2022, there were no such icons on the map. Option four is used in conjunction with option two as it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and will give a guide as to where the ensuing smoke will blow.

The third option is the most theatrical because it changes the colour of the map to reflect the current state of the air quality. Some may find this colour to be too intrusive and distracting but it can be deactivated and the map will revert to a more subdued colour palette.

Across on the far right of the screen can be seen a table which ranks other cities throughout the world in order of their level of pollution. The dirtiest city appears at the top of the table. By default, the table only shows the top seven cities but it can be easily expanded to show the rest of the cities in descending order.

Is the source of the air pollution shown on the air quality map for Mexico City?

The source of air pollution is not directly shown on the air quality map for Mexico City, however, it was analysed that a large part of the air pollution is due to transportation. Vehicles are mainly responsible for poor air quality, since they produce between 53 and 56 per cent of suspended particles, according to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Indicators. Despite the fact that Mexico City committed to the WHO to establish standards to use cleaner vehicles, introduce public transport with low carbon emissions and ban private vehicles that use diesel by 2025, current public policies to curb pollution are inefficient.

Another great factor of pollution is industry which contributes 12.6 per cent per year of atmospheric pollutants. It should be noted that 600 of the industries located in the Mexican capital are highly polluting. Of these, only a quarter have anti-pollution equipment, which in many cases is insufficient.

Another aggravating factor of the growing air pollution is the geographical conditions of the city. Because it is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, which is a kind of pot, when the intensity of the winds is reduced, the diffusion of pollutants in the atmosphere is minimal. Historically it has been a place where pollution gets trapped.


Mexico City air quality data attribution

3Contributors

1 Data source

Data validated and calibrated by IQAirData validated and calibrated by IQAir

Where is the cleanest air quality in Mexico City?

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