On average, air quality is good in Finland and the local impacts of air pollutants are minor.

However, in
difficult weather conditions in winter and summer, pollutant levels in cities may rise to the same level as
in Central European cities of similar size.

Thanks to air pollution control, air quality has improved significantly in Finland in recent decades.
Emissions into the air are still generated by energy production, industry and traffic, especially in urban
areas. In addition, long-distance transport brings air pollutants to Finland from other parts of the world,
for example, in the form of smoke from forest fires.

The global effects of air pollution include the intensification of climate change, ozone layer depletion in
the upper atmosphere and the chemicalisation of the environment. Regional impacts include the
acidification of soil and waters as well as increased ozone concentrations in the troposphere. Emissions
are also detrimental to human health and the surrounding area. For example, street dust and car
exhaust most often cause symptoms in people suffering from respiratory tract diseases.

Air quality is monitored at dozens of measuring points in various locations in Finland. Real-time data
produced by municipalities, industry and the Finnish Meteorological Institute is available via the air
quality portal.

The Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) is responsible for air pollutant reporting, excluding greenhouse
gas emissions. Information on emissions and calculation methods as well as on the related research and
expertise is available on the SYKE website.