6 An increase in electric vehicles is likely to significantly reduce Austin AQI, as transportation remains the largest contributor to the city’s air quality.Ģ020 may see reduced air pollution levels, particularly owing to fewer vehicles on the road.
As of February 2020, 10,000 electric vehicles have been registered in Austin, representing an average annual increase of 39% over the past five years. There is hope, however, of reduced emissions here with the recent surge of electric vehicle ownership. 5 This figure has risen steadily since 2009. Austin is now the 14th most congested city in the United States, with the average resident spending roughly 66 hours annually stuck in traffic. The problem is not an issue of legislation, but rather weak enforcement, as only 1/100 th of what could be levied is typically being charged.Īnother likely contributor to increased air pollution in Austin is the city’s growing population and worsening traffic. Low fines amounting to roughly one cent per pound of illegal air pollution has likely resulted in increased abuse. A report published by the Environment Texas Research and Policy Center found that Texas oil and gas facilities released 135 million pounds of illegal air pollution in 2018, more than double the amount from the year before in 2017. Common to all Texas cities is a sharp rise in illegal industrial and petroleum activity.
The increase in particulate matter was similarly noted in other Texas cities, such as San Antonio, Houston and Dallas. 20, however, were off-trend, experiencing an increase in both pollutant levels.įor PM2.5, Austin experienced an 8.8% increase from 2017 to 2018, and another 13.8% increase from 2018 to 2019. Overall, PM2.5 and ozone air pollution levels have steadily improved in Austin since 2011. This is just barely above the 3.2 unhealthy days federal limit, and was the closest Travis county has ever been to making an attainment since recording began in 1996.įollow Austin live air quality data at the top of this page, and use forecast air quality data in Austin to stay one step ahead of air pollution by taking recommended preventative actions. Travis County, where Austin is located, has an “F” rating for ozone pollution, with 3.3 unhealthy ozone days. Since Austin has a relatively warm climate with abundant sunshine, the city faces challenges in meeting federal standards. Ozone is a gas pollutant formed in the air when precursor pollutants react in sunlight. Ozone is another pollutant that poses health risks to Austinites.
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Moreover, while levels within this PM2.5 target are recommended, the WHO states that no level of exposure has been shown to be free of health impacts. According to this guideline, Austin experienced seven months of unhealthy air. The World Health Organization has set an even more stringent standard for PM2.5 than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recommending no more than 10 μg/m3 of annual exposure (compared to the 12 μg/m3 for the US EPA). 1 On average, 36% of hours were rated an AQI of “moderate,” while 1% was “unhealthy for sensitive groups”. From 2016 to 2018, Austin experienced a weighted average of 3.3 unhealthy ozone days and 1.3 unhealthy PM2.5 days. This differed from previous years, such as in 2016, 20, where the summer months of July and August were the most polluted.ĭespite low annual and monthly averages, Austin air quality varies more significantly day to day and hour to hour. In 2019, November and December were Austin’s most polluted months, with AQI averages of 52 and 51 (“moderate”) respectively. Since at least 2005, Austin’s air quality index (AQI) averaged less than 50 (“good”) annually, indicating that the air poses little to no risk to health. Austin air quality is relatively clean compared to that of other major cities in Texas.
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