AIR QUALITY IN MALTA
In accordance with the World Health Organization’s guidelines, the air quality in Malta is considered moderately unsafe – the most recent data indicates the country’s annual mean concentration of PM2.5 is 14 µg/m3, which exceeds the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m3.
Air quality in Malta can be affected by tourism and construction industries, food processing, and traffic congestion. Available data indicates that Msida is a city that can experience high levels of air pollution.
PARTICULATE MATTER
- Particulate matter is present in the atmosphere
- Coarse particles, size > 10um
- Fine particles, size < 2.5um
- Generation process
- Chemical Reactions
- Combustion processes
- Mechanical generation (wind)
MECHANICALLY GENERATED MATTER
- Windborne matter
- Fine and Coarse Particles
- Sources
- Mineral particles from soil erosion
- Cement and fertilizer dust
- Sea-Salt particles
- Other sources, tires and brakes
MINERAL PARTICLES
| Name | Size |
| Gravel | 2 – 16 mm |
| Very coarse sand | 1 – 2 mm |
| Coarse Sand | 0.5 – 1 mm |
| Medium Sand | 0.25 – 0.5 mm |
| Fine Sand | 0.125 – 0.25 mm |
| Very fine sand | 62.5 – 125 um |
| Silt | 3.9 – 62.5 um |
| Clay | 0.1 – 39 um |