Air Pollution Patterns Across Europe in March 2026
7 March marks World Health Day 2026, under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science”. In this context, monitoring air pollutants is key to understand and mitigate risks to public health, as exposure to air pollutants contributes to a range of respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.
During March 2026, air quality across Europe was influenced by natural and anthropogenic seasonal factors, including dust transport and agricultural activity, compounded by stagnant weather conditions, which resulted in several episodes of reduced air quality across the continent.
This data visualisation, based on Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) data, shows the Air Quality Index (AQI) levels on 8 March 2026. The AQI is based on the concentration of five key pollutants in the atmosphere, namely particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. Reduced air quality conditions, indicated by red tones, are visible over parts of Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
The Copernicus Health Hub connects Copernicus Services with the health community, providing insights on the products and tools available to monitor air quality in Europe.
