Media Center
Weekly Air Quality in Selected Towns of Sri Lanka (17 Mar – 23 Mar 2025)
Sri Lanka experienced moderate air quality throughout the week. Pelawatte had the highest air pollution, with a weekly average air quality index (AQI) of 94. Nuwara Eliya recorded the least pollution last week, with a weekly average AQI of 48.
From 17 to 22 March, the wind from the East carried clean air into the country. On the 23rd, the wind carried polluted air from Southern China, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, causing the most polluted day of the week.
Summaries for the stations from 17th – 23rd March 2025
Air Quality was,
Moderate (AQI 50-100): Akurana, Digana, Kurunegala, Colombo, Battaramulla (Pelawatte), Battaramulla (CEA), Gampaha, Negombo, Ambalantota, Puttalam Trincomalee, Jaffna, and Dambulla.
Good (AQI 0-50): Nuwara Eliya.
Battaramulla (Pelawatte) recorded the highest weekly average AQI of 107. Nuwara Eliya recorded the lowest weekly AQI of 39.
Air Quality impact on human health
Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) are generally 2.5 microns and smaller in size. Such particles are inhalable and easily lodges inside the lungs reducing capacity. PM2.5 is a concern for people’s health when levels in the air are high. The levels of risk are shown in the dial shown against the US EPA air quality standards. AQ has a scale that run from 0-500, that tells you how clean or polluted your air is. Each level on the scale corresponds to a different level of health concern.
AIR QUALITY BASICS
Air pollution, a widely- talked and argued topic today has been a primary cause of unforeseen climatic changes, many health problems associated with respiratory diseases and ecosystem damage. Vehicular and industrial emissions, dust, burning of fossil fuels, open burning of garbage waste and natural phenomena such as volcanoes, wildfires and pollen contribute to air pollution. Polluted air consists of both particulate matter of fine dimensions and gaseous matter. The presence of these impurities decreases the pureness of the air we breathe.
AQI
United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has set up a standard to measure the level of air pollution by the following 5 major air pollutants:
- Ground- level ozone (O3)
- Particle pollution (PM2.5 and PM10)
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
Particulate matter of diameter less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and diameter less than 10 micrometers (PM10) and gases, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide have been identified as major air pollutants.
The AQI standard for ozone and particle pollution according to US EPA comprises of six categories. Each category is assigned a specific colour and corresponds to a different level of health concern. As the scale grows the air quality turns from good to extremely unhealthy.
Access to real- time air quality data from laser air quality sensoring instruments operated by FECT is available at www.cleanair.lk
