Canadians enjoy a good level of outdoor air quality. Emissions of air pollutants that cause smog and acid rain have decreased significantly during the past decades. These reductions have contributed to the reduction of the air pollutants that Canadians breathe every day – pollutants that can contribute to health issues such as asthma and cardiovascular diseases.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) air pollution represents the biggest environmental risk to human health and can severely affect the environment. Even at low levels, air pollution has been clearly linked to increased heart and breathing problems, increased hospitalization and emergency room visits and premature death. Health Canada estimates air pollution contributes to about 15,300 deaths in Canada each year, as well as many non-fatal impacts, with a total economic cost of $120 billion annually.

Improved air quality reduces heart attacks and hospital visits, avoids hundreds of thousands of child asthma attacks, and prevents millions of lost school and work days in Canada alone. Cleaner air can also reduce damage to crops, forests, surface waters, and infrastructure such as buildings and bridges, and can help address climate change impacts since some air pollutants are also greenhouse gases or contribute to the formation of greenhouse gases.

Source: Health Canada, 2021. Health Impacts of Air Pollution in Canada: Estimates of morbidity and premature mortality outcomes – 2021 Report.

The following resources have been created to help teach about Air Quality. Along with the sources of pollution, and how we measure it’s impact.