Which nation has the cleanest air on the planet?

The international locations with the cleanest air on the planet have been ranked in a brand new report. We check out the outcomes

The Pacific Island nation of French Polynesia has the world’s cleanest air, in line with the most recent World Air High quality Report from IQAir. The report ranks 134 international locations and territories by the extent of positive particulate matter current within the air.

Air air pollution continues to pose one of many largest threats to human well being, inflicting the demise of as much as seven million individuals yearly. Billions extra undergo the consequences of poor air high quality which might result in bronchial asthma and lung illness. The truth is, the World Well being Organisation (WHO) estimates that 92% of the worldwide inhabitants breathes poisonous air.

French Polynesia, an abroad collectivity of France, has the cleanest air on the planet, adopted by the island nations of Mauritius, Iceland, Grenada and Bermuda.

Of 134 international locations and areas surveyed within the report, simply 10 international locations or territories – French Polynesia, Mauritius, Iceland, Grenada, Bermuda, New Zealand, Australia, Puerto Rico, Estonia and Finland – are assembly a World Well being Group (WHO) guideline restrict for tiny airborne particles expelled by vehicles, vehicles and industrial processes. Solely seven of these 10 are sovereign nations: Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand.

On the different finish of the spectrum, Bangladesh has the worst air high quality adopted by Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso respectively.

Air High quality Index

The report analyses outcomes from over 30,000 monitoring stations throughout the globe, making it the world’s largest centralised platform for measuring air high quality.

It additionally attracts on knowledge collected from 1000’s of unpolluted air initiatives administered by governments, non-profit organisations, residents, communities and personal corporations.

The report focuses on PM2.5 concentrations (μg/m³) as this pollutant is broadly considered most dangerous to human well being. PM2.5 is outlined as ambient airborne particles measuring as much as 2.5 microns in dimension. A micron (or micrometre) is one-millionth of a metre or one-thousandth of a millimetre.

Its microscopic dimension permits the particles to enter the bloodstream through the respiratory system and journey by way of the physique, inflicting a variety of well being issues together with bronchial asthma, lung most cancers and coronary heart illness.

Air air pollution can be related to low start weight, elevated acute respiratory infections and stroke.

The WHO’s Air High quality Guideline worth for PM2.5 publicity – which has been confirmed to be freed from well being impacts – is 10µg/m³ or 10 micrograms of air pollutant per cubic meter of air.

There are solely 10 international locations or territories, out of the 134 assessed, which move these tips.

most polluted cities

The report additionally produces a rating for 1000’s of the world’s cities. New Delhi famously hit the headlines in 2020 when the town witnessed drastically improved air high quality when restrictions had been launched as a result of pandemic.

Nonetheless, the town quickly returned to “regular” when air pollution hit “emergency” ranges in November 2020 and the town turned enveloped in thick poisonous smog.

Bangladesh, China, India, and Pakistan share 48 of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide with 9 of the ten most polluted in India alone. Begusarai in India is the world’s most polluted metropolis whereas New Delhi is the world’s most polluted capital.

COUNTRY RANKING: Cleanest air on the planet

The World Air High quality Report ranks 134 international locations and territories. States which were omitted lacked ample ground-based PM2.5 monitoring stations.

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Lead picture: Blue Planet Studio/Shutterstock