Air quality index published for major cities

An air quality index has been published for major cities in Europe - and around the world - after data was collated from a huge array of sources.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) - also known as the Air Pollution Index - measures the number of pollutant particulates in a fixed volume of air.

A lower score on the index correlates with less pollution and cities are given a rating ranging from good to hazardous.

Using the latest data from the Common Information to European Air, researchers have found that the vast majority of major European conurbations have a top air quality rating of good.

London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Prague and Zurich were among the cities that were deemed to have good levels of pollutants.

Only Madrid scored a moderate rating.

Over the pond, meanwhile, New York managed to improve its pollution levels, rising in the index from moderate to good in the space of a year.

Recently, Siemens commissioned the Germany Green City Index, which found that highly populated areas in the nation tend to generate more CO2 emissions that their counterparts across the continent of Europe.

Posted by Joseph Hutton