“A recent report on European air pollution found that all main pollutants (nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, sulfur oxides, ammonia, and fine-particle pollution) fell substantially between 1990 and 2023.”
The European Environmental Agency explains:
“In 2023, emissions of all pollutants were lower than in 2005…Emission trends for NOX, NMVOCs, SOX, NH3 and PM 2.5 are presented in Figure 3.1. For the main pollutants, the largest reductions, in percent, across the EU were for SOX emissions. SOX reduced by 95% since 1990 and by 14% since the previous reporting cycle. This was followed by NOX,which reduced by 66% since 1990 and by 3% since the previous reporting cycle. NMVOCs reduced by 63% since 1990 and by 4% since the previous reporting cycle. NH3 reduced by 36% since 1990, while the emissions did not reduce since the previous reporting cycle. PM 2.5 reduced by 41% since 2000 and by 6% since the previous reporting cycle.”
Some places, however, still have lots of air pollution. Pollution is so bad in India’s capital that it planned to use artificial rain to combat air pollution.
Pollution is very bad in much of northern India. If you travel through it, you get dust all over your car’s windshield, dust between your teeth, and dust covering your clothes. India’s capital, Delhi, is a dusty megacity. Its 34 million people die years sooner than they otherwise would, due to air pollution.
“India’s capital territory of Delhi is keen to use artificial rain to fight air pollution this year, its Environment Minister Gopal Rai said” last year, “as deteriorating air quality in the region led to an increase in respiratory illnesses,” reports a south Asian newspaper.
In the world as a whole, sulfur dioxide emissions are down sharply since the 1980s. So are carbon monoxide emissions. Black carbon is down over the last decade, while nitrogen oxide is down over the last 15 years.
