Air pollution - Why care? (Sweden)

SOER 2010 Common environmental theme (Deprecated)

This page was archived on 21 Mar 2015 with reason: A new version has been published

Why should we care? Links to further national information on air pollution.

Topic: Air pollution

more info Organisation name Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Reporting country Sweden Organisation website Organisation website Contact link Contact link Last updated 23 Sep 2011 Content license CC By 2.5 Content provider

Published: 07 Oct 2010 Modified: 11 May 2020 Feed synced: 23 Sep 2011 original

Key message

Air pollution continues to have adverse effects on health, vegetation and cultural heritage objects.

High concentrations of particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide constitute the greatest air quality problems in Sweden’s population centres. Several municipalities exceed environmental quality standards for PM10, which correspond to EU’s threshold value. The Swedish environmental quality standard for nitrogen dioxide, which is more stringent than the EU threshold value, is also exceeded in several municipalities. The previous declining trend for many substances appears to have levelled off. Concentrations of PM2.5 are relatively low and the EU threshold value is not exceeded anywhere in the country. The highest concentrations of PM2.5 are found in southern Sweden.

Particulate matter (PM10) is the air pollutant that causes the most severe health problems in Sweden’s population centres. High concentrations can impair respiratory functions and affect normal lung development. According to Swedish studies, particulate matter is believed to cause between 3 000 and 5 000 premature deaths annually in Sweden, which corresponds to a shorter average life span of about 6–12 months.