How has air quality in Switzerland evolved over time? (FOEN)
Thanks to Switzerland’s successful air pollution control policy, air quality in the country has improved significantly since the 1990s.
The air we breathe – each person inhales around 15,000 liters of it every day – is vital. Clean air is a key prerequisite for the good health of both people and the environment. Air pollutants that enter our lungs via the nose, throat, and windpipe contribute to respiratory and lung diseases, including lung cancer. They are also involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases and lead to a reduction in life expectancy.
Thanks to the successful air pollution control policies implemented by the federal government, the cantons, and the municipalities – as well as on the international level – air quality in Switzerland has significantly improved since the 1990s. Today, the majority of air quality limit values established to protect human health and the environment are being met. Even pollutants for which no official limit values exist – particularly ultrafine particles and carcinogenic soot – have been significantly reduced for years thanks to comprehensive mitigation measures. However, a comparison of current pollutant levels with WHO air quality guidelines shows that further reductions in air pollution are necessary to safeguard human health. Progress is possible through the consistent use of the best available technology to reduce air pollutant emissions.
In Switzerland, air pollution levels are modeled on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment based on spatially detailed air pollutant emissions, dispersion models, and air quality measurements carried out by the federal government and the cantons.
Link to the map: map.geo.admin.ch