Table 3.2
Average ambient air quality, by region and selected urban areas, 2002 and 2016


Table 3.2
Average ambient air quality, by region and selected urban areas, 2002 and 2016
Table summary
This table displays the results of Average ambient air quality PM2.5, O3, NO2, SO2, VOCs , 2002 and 2016, calculated using micrograms per cubic metre, parts per billion and parts per billion carbon units of measure (appearing as column headers).
PM2.5 O3 NO2 SO2 VOCs
2002 2016 2002 2016 2002 2016 2002 2016 2002 2016
micrograms per cubic metre parts per billion parts per billion carbon
National 7.3 6.4 32.8 32.5 13.7 7.8 2.8 1.0 91.3 58.4
Atlantic Canada 4.8 5.6 33.7 31.9 6.9 3.1 5.7 0.6 103.6 65.5
Fredericton, N.B. Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 5.8 33.8 30.2 3.9 2.4 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
St. John's, N.L. 4.8 5.1 34.0 33.0 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 3.5 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Halifax, N.S. 4.1 5.0 31.0 29.0 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 5.0 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Southern Quebec 9.8 6.3 33.6 33.1 14.9 8.4 4.3 1.7 74.4 35.2
Montréal, Que. 10.0 7.1 30.6 32.5 16.1 8.9 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Gatineau, Que. Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 5.6 35.5 35.0 11.1 5.9 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Sherbrooke, Que. Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 5.0 39.0 34.0 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Québec, Que. 7.8 8.2 33.2 32.0 14.1 6.6 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Southern Ontario 8.5 6.6 37.8 37.5 18.5 8.7 6.0 1.5 68.3 37.1
Windsor, Ont. Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 9.0 35.5 39.5 19.4 11.0 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Hamilton, Ont. 11.2 7.8 36.7 37.3 19.4 10.5 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Kitchener, Ont. Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 7.3 39.0 39.0 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 6.2 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Toronto, Ont. 8.6 7.0 36.9 36.0 20.0 11.2 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
St. Catharines – Niagara, Ont. Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 6.9 36.0 40.0 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 6.6 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
London, Ont. Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 6.8 38.0 41.5 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 4.1 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Oshawa, Ont. 9.1 5.9 35.0 36.0 17.2 6.3 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Ottawa, Ont. 7.5 5.8 34.0 34.0 27.1 6.3 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Prairies and northern Ontario 5.8 7.7 31.8 31.5 10.6 6.8 1.7 0.8 150.6 93.8
Regina, Sask. 7.3 8.1 18.0 34.0 13.9 7.3 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Saskatoon, Sask. Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 6.8 28.0 29.0 11.7 8.9 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Edmonton, Alta. 6.3 6.4 32.2 30.6 17.2 7.8 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Winnipeg, Man. 6.0 5.8 28.0 24.5 12.1 8.0 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
British ColumbiaTable 3.2 Note 1 6.6 5.3 25.7 26.6 14.3 9.2 2.0 1.0 114.9 85.4
Vancouver, B.C. 5.5 4.5 23.5 25.8 16.2 10.6 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Victoria, B.C. 6.1 4.3 25.0 30.0 10.4 6.7 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Whitehorse, Y.T. 2.4 3.4 36.0 30.0 0.7 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
Yellowknife, N.W.T. Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 7.8 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 30.0 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 1.9 Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period Note .: not available for any reference period
2020 annual CAAQS standard numerical valueTable 3.2 Note 2 8.8 8.8 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ..: not available for a specific reference period 17.0 17.0 5.0 5.0 Note ..: not available for a specific reference period Note ..: not available for a specific reference period
. not available for any reference period
.. not available for a specific reference period
Note 1

Only stations from Metro Vancouver were available for VOCs.

Return to note 1 referrer

Note 2

The Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) consist of an averaging time, numerical value and a statistical form for each pollutant, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ground-level ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). The CAAQS standard for O3 is for the peak value, not the annual average. The standards are reviewed periodically. The numerical values of the annual 2020 CAAQS are provided here for reference purposes only and not for assessing the achievement status of the standard.

Return to note 2 referrer

Notes: National, regional and urban ambient air quality concentrations are averaged from monitoring station data. These stations are spread across the country, but are more concentrated in urban areas. Selected urban areas include 25 census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, representing some of the most populated municpalities in Canada including provincial and territorial capitals, for which sufficient data was available for reporting. For more information about the methodology and included stations, see the CESI Air Quality Indicator.
Sources: Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2018,  “Air Quality,” Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators, https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/air-quality.html (accessed May 11, 2020), based on data from the National Air Pollutant Surveillance Program, https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-pollution/monitoring-networks-data/national-air-pollution-program.html; Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 2017, Canada’s Air, https://ccme.ca/en/air-quality-report (accessed February 14, 2020).
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