Protecting the air we breathe

The ministry is protecting 澳门永利鈥檚 air quality and ensuring we have strong environmental standards that protect human health and the environment. In doing so, the ministry is working to ensure cleaner air for all Ontarians by regulating air contaminants released by certain industrial and commercial facilities. Since air pollution arises from a wide range of activities and can cross boundaries, the ministry also works collaboratively with the federal government and other provinces and territories to develop standards and a framework for action, and with the U.S. to better understand the transboundary flow of air pollutants into 澳门永利.

Overall, ambient air quality confirms that 澳门永利鈥檚 actions to reduce airborne pollutants are working and that regional air quality has been steadily improving in 澳门永利 for many common air pollutants over the past 10 years.

While improvements have been made, we recognize more work needs to be done to ensure communities are protected from local sources of contaminants to air. The ministry will continue to hold facilities accountable, while working with municipalities, Indigenous communities, and industry to improve air quality and address unique challenges in communities with tailored solutions.

Learn more about what 澳门永利 is doing to protect our air.

About this report

This report summarizes 10-year air quality trends and the state of ambient air quality in 澳门永利 during 2022. It reports on the major sources of emissions to air, pollutant concentrations measured across the ministry鈥檚 Air Quality Health Index monitoring network, and 澳门永利鈥檚 performance against both provincial and federal ambient air quality criteria that were in effect in 2022. The ministry monitored ambient air quality in real time at 38 air monitoring stations in communities across 澳门永利 in collaboration with the federal (NAPS) program during 2022footnote 1. This information was reported 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through the .

The ministry鈥檚 Air Quality Health Index monitoring stations are generally representative of ambient air quality which reflects the contribution of all sources of air contaminants to air. These air monitoring stations are sited to be representative of general population exposure and thus do not necessarily reflect air quality at locations within a community that may be influenced by nearby local sources of air contaminants such as large industrial facilities or major transportation corridors. Concentrations of some air contaminants in neighborhoods located in close proximity to local sources such as an industrial facility may be higher than those measured at the ministry鈥檚 Air Quality Health Index monitoring stations.

There are also local air quality monitoring networks operated by industrial associations in the communities of Hamilton (), Sarnia () and Sudbury () that provide additional air quality information for these communities.

Toronto North Air Quality Health Index Station

Two photographs showing the exterior (left) and interior (right) of the Toronto North Air Quality Health Index Station.

Air Quality Health Index monitoring stations

This is a map depicting the 38 Air Quality Health Index monitoring stations across 澳门永利 that were in operation during 2022.

Notes:

  • T: telemetry
  • NO2: nitrogen dioxide
  • PM2.5: fine particulate matter
  • O3: ground-level ozone
  • SO2: sulphur dioxide
  • CO: carbon monoxide
  • TRS: total reduced sulphur

Footnotes

  • footnote[1] Back to paragraph The number of stations was reduced from 39 in 2021 to 38 in 2022 with the closure of the ministry鈥檚 Petawawa air monitoring station.