Air quality in Iceland

Due to an oceanic climate and steady winds the outdoor air quality in Iceland is generally quite good. Local emission of air pollution is mainly due to road traffic and fishing boats. Iceland is also exposed to transboundary air pollution originating mainly from Europe and North America.

Air quality monitoring

Air quality has been monitored in Reykjavik since 1985 when the Environment and Food Agency of Iceland (EFA) started a measuring station at Miklatorg where airborne dust & heavy metals were measured. The city of Reykjavik Environmental Health and Protection Office (EHPO) initiated another monitoring station at Grensas in 1990, where NO2, CO, O3, SO2, ozone, benzene and dust (PM2,5 & PM10) have been measured. For many years the Grensas station was located for 3 months per year at various sites for special projects, usually 2 - 4 weeks at each location, e.g. at traffic hot spots, kindergartens and different suburban locations. Today the Grensas station serves as the main urban traffic station in Reykjavik due to a contract between EFA and EHPO in 2002 from which time monitoring at Miklatorg was discontinued in 2002.

EFA has also measured background ozone at Keldnaholt in suburban Reykjavik as well as airborne dust in Akranes and Alvidra, both within 50 km from Reykjavik. An urban background station has been running from autumn 2002, in Laugardalur. In addition a portable station is available since 2002, giving data for various locations in the city. Lake Myvatn station in North Iceland was set up in the yar 2000.

Table: Air quality monitoring in Iceland

Reports in English:

• Method for determining the composition of airborne particle pollution in Reykjavik
• ECTOS Environmental Evaluation of Air Quality - Midterm report