|
|
|
2014 annual air quality index statistics—by sectorAir quality varied considerably across the 17 urban sectors for which the AQI is calculated. In 2014, the percentage of days when air quality was “poor” ranged from less than 1% in Gatineau (Hull sector) to 23% in Temiscaming. In comparison with 2013, the average number of days—all sectors combined—where air quality was deemed “good” or “acceptable” increased by 5%, reaching 94%. The average number of days of “poor*” air quality decreased by 5%, and is now at 6%, which is the best result since the introduction of the AQI in 2004. It is important to note that unlike regional statistics, which are based on uniform measurements of fine particulate matter and ozone, sector statistics may include measurements of a pollutant emitted locally that is not detected on a regional scale. As a result, the AQI value for a particular sector may be different from that of its region. Local sources of atmospheric emissions affecting a sector’s AQI can vary from one location to another. * Occurs when the concentration of at least one of the pollutants used to calculate the AQI is greater than its reference value. |