Air Quality
Outdoor Air Quality
Breathing is the most basic human function for anyone to live, and having good air quality makes a difference for living a healthier lifestyle.
The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport share responsibility for air quality management in British Columbia. The Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport advises on standards, objectives and regulations to protect human health. The Ministry of Environment regulates air pollutant emissions from a variety of sources using approvals, permits, regulations, guidelines and codes of practice. The Ministry of Environment also monitors air quality at many locations in the province. Metro Vancouver has the delegated authority to monitor and manage air quality in the Greater Vancouver Regional District.
Information on air quality in B.C. — including current air quality conditions, sources of pollution, air quality regulations and actions individuals can take to improve air quality — can be found at the BC Air Quality website.
The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a scale that helps people understand what air quality means to their health and helps them make decisions on reducing their exposure to poor air quality. Current and forecast AQHI information for 17 B.C. communities is available at airhealthbc.ca and the BC Air Quality website.
In 2008 the B.C. Government announced the Air Action Plan, a package of 28 measures aimed at improving air quality in the province. Many of these measures are still underway.
Indoor Air Quality
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