Vienna Air Quality Index (AQI) and Austria Air Pollution | IQAir (2024)

How healthy is the air in Vienna?

Accordingto the Air Quality Index (AQI), the air quality in Vienna is"moderate" with a 2019 average PM2.5 concentration of 12.3 µg/m³, avalue which means that Vienna has missed being categorized as “good” accordingto the AQI scale by a mere 0.3 µg/m³.

Accordingto the stricter standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollutionin Vienna is 23% above the guideline value of 10 µg/m³ for particulate matter(PM2.5) and far behind other European cities such as Berlin, London or Madrid.

Comparedto other Austrian cities, Vienna is ranked 11th in the 2019 IQAir ranking withthe highest level of air pollution. However, when compared with previous years,Vienna’s air quality has improved. According to the Air Quality Ranking, Viennais the second-worst Austrian city in terms of fine dust pollution, behindEisenstadt with 11.3 µg/m³ PM2.5 but ahead of Linz with 13.3 µg/m³ PM2.5.

What causes air pollution in Vienna?

In the city-state of Vienna, three-quartersof particulate matter emissions come from far away, i.e. from pollutant sourcesare many kilometers outside Vienna. These emissions are carried into the cityby the prevailing wind and thus contribute to their air pollution. Severalpollutants found at the measuring stations come from the north-east orsouth-east, while the clean air masses come from the west.

The local sources of pollutants are due totraffic in the city center. Although the particulate matter is not only emittedby the combustion of coal, biomass and waste, but also by certain materialprocessing and the combustion of diesel is a major contributor. In addition,there are emissions from private households and small consumers through heatingor other pollutant-emitting behavior.

Does an inversion of the weather conditions in Vienna cause poor air quality?

Normally, the vertical temperature curvebecomes lower and lower with increasing altitude, but a corresponding winterweather situation in Vienna can lead to an inversion, i.e. a reversal of thetemperature curve. An inversion of weather conditions contributes to the factthat the levels of pollutants in Vienna are higher than without this commonweather phenomenon. This happens because the pollutants are "trapped"below the warm layer as a result of the absence of movement between the layers.This phenomenon also partially explains the higher pollution levels experiencedduring winter in Vienna and its surrounding area. However, geographicallyspeaking, Vienna is not as strongly affected by the inversion of weatherconditions as Upper Austria. Moreover, the occurrence and intensity of the inversionof weather conditions seems to have decreased in recent years throughoutAustria.

When looking at the available World AirQuality Reports from 2018 and 2019, there is definitely a higher level ofpollution during the winter months. A reduction of these values can also beseen over the last few years, but this cannot be attributed exclusively to thereduced occurrence of the inversion of the weather conditions. In addition tothe reduction in intensity, various measures have been introduced over theyears to reduce Vienna's air pollutants.

Where can the best air quality be found in Vienna?

In 2020, Vienna has been recognized as theworld's most habitable city for the third year in a row. However, this rankingis less concerned with air quality but with the quality of life within the city.A closer look at the different districts of Vienna shows that districts with alower socio-economic development record a higher level of NO₂.However, the socio-economic differences in Vienna are not as pronounced as inother cities, such as Marseille or Dortmund. The Global Liveability Index doesnot consider air pollution in a comprehensive way and does not includesocio-economic disparities within cities such as Vienna.

According to the air quality map publishedby IQAir .com, air pollution in Vienna can be followed in real time using dataprovided by measuring stations. These measuring stations are distributed throughoutthe city center and the suburbs.

When is Vienna's air quality at its best?

During 2019, Vienna managed to achieve theWHO target value for fine dust pollution (PM2.5) for five months. These monthswere characterized by warmer temperatures. While the higher values in Viennaoriginate from the colder winter and transition months. In 2018, the PM2.5concentration was higher than in the previous year at 15.2 μg/m³, as acomparison of the World Air Quality Reports for 2018 and 2019 shows.

What is the air quality in the underground trains in Vienna?

A popular means of public transport inVienna is the metro or underground rail network. Several studies have shownthat it is precisely in this public transport system that air quality is at itsworst. A recent study compared the pollution levels of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 withinthe Vienna underground system with that outside. In most cases, a significantdifference was found between the air quality values inside the undergroundtrains and the values in the surface air. The increased pollution comes fromthe wear of the tracks, wheels and brake pads within the underground system.However, the general air pollution in the city is influenced more by diesel orpetrol-driven passenger transport rather than by an electric undergroundrailway system that gets its electricity from hydroelectric power plants.

The level of air pollution varies dependingon the section of the underground railway network. In particular, theunderground lines U1 and U3 are expected to have higher levels of air pollutionin longer, underground sections. The occasional lack of air conditioning alsohas a negative impact on air pollution, as shown by the increased levels ofparticulate matter, as air conditioning systems are an air purification system.Thus, the air quality in the metro network depends on various factors.

What health effects does particulate matter have on people in Vienna?

Although particulate matter levels, likeother pollutants, are normally not alarmingly high in Vienna, higherconcentrations do occur in winter and are therefore a potential problem forsensitive groups. Sensitivity depends, not only on factors such as healthstatus, age and genetics but also on breathing and sports involvement. The airpollutants measured in Vienna, such as particulate matter, ozone (O₃)and nitric oxides (NO_x), reinforce the effect of pollen in thiscontext. Asthma attacks are also more frequently triggered by high ozonelevels, among other respiratory problems. NO_x, like NO₂,increases the likelihood of getting respiratory infections and acts as aprecursor gas for PM2.5. SO₂ is also a precursor, but besides causingrespiratory infections, SO₂ also causes problems with vision.

Particulate matter is considered the mostdangerous pollutant and can be caused by chemical reactions such as burns fromthe precursor gases. PM2.5 penetrates deep into the respiratory system anddamages it. The health effects include coughing, asthma attacks and bronchitis,but also impaired lung function. In addition to the respiratory system, theblood vessels are also damaged by inflammation. It can also lead to increasedblood clotting or a higher risk of a heart attack. In children, PM2.5 can limitlung growth and brain function. In the worst-case scenario, exposure to fineparticles can lead to death in sensitive groups.

What can be done to reduce air pollution in Vienna?

As approximately 75 per cent of theparticulate matter blown in by prevailing winds, it is not only essential tointroduce national measures to reduce Vienna's air pollution, but also to havecross-border discussions. This is because measures at an international levelhave an impact on local air quality, especially when, as in Vienna, the airpollution in question comes from outside the city and partly from outsideAustria.

The remaining 25% of Vienna's airpollution, which come from local sources, will be curbed by a package ofmeasures against particulate matter. This package of measures focuses ondifferent sectors that emit pollutants. The package starts with restrictions onwinter road maintenance, which includes grit and salt. However, heating systemsalso reduce emissions of air pollutants through more district heating andsimilar rises in efficiency. In order to relieve general traffic, the publictransport system will be expanded, and speed limits will be maintained. TheCity of Vienna intends to link public and private transport by means ofexternal Park & Ride car parks. On construction sites, the replacement ofvarious technologies is intended to reduce their emission contribution.

An essential step towards improving airquality is the promotion of electric mobility, both in private and publicsectors. The City of Vienna is focusing on new technology that is not relianton fossil fuels for public and commercial transport towards an improvement ofthe electromobility infrastructure. Although private procurement is supportedto a certain extent, plans of the City of Vienna show a preference towards anincrease in the use of bicycles and public transport. However, financialsupport for electric bicycles was discontinued in 2011, due to lack of supplyand demand.

Over the last decade, a significant rise inthe use of cycle paths has been observed. Directly related to this, the bicycleinfrastructure has also been expanded with more cycle routes and parkingspaces. Climate-friendly transport and electric bicycles are also becomingincreasingly popular, replacing other environmentally harmful vehicles inVienna.