Manchester air quality map

Live air pollution map of Manchester

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Unhealthy for sensitive groups
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Most polluted air quality stations

#stationUS AQI
1 Manchester Piccadilly

23

2 Manchester Oxford Road

21

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



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Manchester MAP AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS

What are the pollution levels like on the air quality maps in Manchester?

Pollution levels that are present on the air quality map page for Manchester tend to remain within the 'good' classification bracket, as with many cities throughout the United Kingdom. On occasion, they can move up further to 'moderate' ratings, particularly in more densely populated or busy parts of the city, especially when the mass transit of people is involved. To cite some examples of US AQI readings, or pollution levels from mid-May of 2022, Manchester presented with many 'good' air quality ratings, which require a US AQI reading of 50 or less, with the closer to 0 being the most optimal. Some of the readings shown on the air quality map include US AQI figures of 17, 22 and 25, with higher readings (but still within the more optimal 'good' air quality bracket) of 41 taken in the northern areas over Manchester.

How do the air pollution maps for Manchester work?

Air quality maps or air pollution maps in Manchester work via a system of multiple air quality monitoring stations all feeding their data to the map as shown above. Each station continuously takes a reading of the level of various pollutants in the area in the vicinity, updating the figure over the course of the day, and feeding it directly to the air quality map page, as well as the city pages where the daily average for the entirety of Manchester is shown.

Due to having multiple locations whereby the air cleanliness, or lack of it, is being constantly read and updated, air quality maps can prove highly useful in that they do not just show a simple average reading for the city as a whole, but rather can show distinct areas where the pollution levels are at their highest, as well as which areas in Manchester have the cleanest air. Air pollution maps work via multiple data feeds all assisting in painting a wider picture of the air quality throughout Manchester, with growing numbers of individual air quality monitoring stations being added to the setup as time goes on. Some of these may come from government organizations or other similar groups that want to keep tabs on the air quality in any given area. Individuals may also set up their own pollution monitoring systems that can feed into the air quality map page, thus helping to provide further information that residents, as well as those who are traveling through Manchester, can use on a day to day basis to keep their pollution exposure to a minimum. This is particularly helpful for areas that are more notorious for having higher levels of pollution present, such as near industrial sites or busy roads, which can see its chemical compounds concentration (as well as particle count) spike up rapidly during rush hour traffic, particularly if there is a lack of prevailing wind to blow away such accumulations, all of which lead to higher readings being taken by the facilities which show up as higher US AQI readings on the air quality map.

Is it possible for air quality maps to prevent potential illnesses in Manchester?

When people continuously refer to air quality maps and their readings throughout Manchester, many health issues may be avoided as a result. With many studies going back decades having already linked numerous health problems directly to higher pollution exposure, by avoiding areas of the city that have higher US AQI readings present on the air pollution maps, individuals may potentially avoid such pollution-related ailments. In particular, those with pre-existing health conditions may benefit even more from the use of air quality maps in Manchester.

Which pollutants do air quality maps show in Manchester?

As has been mentioned in the previous questions regarding the air quality maps, their function and how they can help people and certain groups throughout Manchester, US AQI is the figure used across the various reading sites that show up on the pollution maps for the city. Manchester has a good amount of air quality monitoring stations present, more so than other cities throughout England, with readings showing up extensively to the north near Rochdale, and further down south near Stockport. The city pages that are also present for Manchester and other cities throughout the country show the US AQI readings as well as the concentrations of other pollutants in the air, whilst the air quality map pages only show the US AQI readings. By getting a further understanding of what the US AQI reading is comprised of, users can thus know what chemical pollutants or particles they may be getting exposed to (although when it comes to particle-based pollution, the number of materials that fall into this classification can be extremely numerous, and as such only the more common ones will be touched upon in this question).

US AQI, standing for the United States air quality index (with the United States having a very stringent classification system and is thus more widely used, as other pollution classification systems can be more lenient and thus allow polluted air to be labeled as being ‘safe’ or ‘reasonable’ when in reality it may present more health risks to the population) is calculated from several main pollutants that are found throughout the world. The US AQI figure shown on the air quality maps is formed from the aggregation of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone, which is also known as smog when it accumulates in large enough quantities on the ground level, particularly near busy roads during times of intense sunshine. Although it is a vital part of the upper atmosphere, when it gathers on ground level, ozone can be extremely dangerous to breathe, causing dizziness, nausea and many other short and long term health effects, as well as contributing to an increase in the pollution readings on the air quality map. Lastly, the other pollutants used in calculating the US AQI figure are the two particle-based pollutants, PM10 (which covers larger or more coarse particles) and PM2.5, the more dangerous of the two which covers materials that are 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, going down to sizes many microns smaller on occasion. Materials that can fall into the particulate based pollution bracket include metals, mold spores, bacteria, nitrates and sulfates, water or oil vapors, black carbon (the main component of soot and can sometimes be visibly seen around busy road areas, accumulating on underpasses and other similar places), as well as finely ground silica. These are for informational purposes, and the concentration levels of these pollutants can be seen on the city pages themselves. The air quality map pages will show the US AQI level, and thus when the figure is shown to be higher or moving up to unsafe levels during certain times of the year, the above-mentioned pollutants can be found in higher concentrations throughout Manchester and surrounding areas.


Where is the cleanest air quality in Manchester?

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