Annual report of air quality measurements in Austria 2010

The annual report of the Federal Environment Agency is based on the measurements of the offices of the state governments and the Federal Environment Agency and provides an overview of the air quality situation in Austria. In 2010, numerous exceedances of the limit and target values of the Air Pollution Protection Act for fine particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were recorded, as well as ozone, occasionally also for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, benzo(a)pyrene and dust precipitation. The limit and target values for PM2.5, sulphur dioxide, lead, arsenic, cadmium and nickel in PM10 and for benzene were met. Exceeding limit values for NO2 occurred mainly on busy roads, in fine dust, mainly in larger cities and in eastern Austria as a result of long-distance transport. Both pollutants had higher concentrations in 2010 than in recent years.