Outdoor air pollution and health: Overview
On this page
- About outdoor air pollution
- Health impacts of air pollution overall in Canada
- Health impacts of wildfire smoke-related air pollution
- Health impacts of traffic-related air pollution
- Contact us
About outdoor air pollution
Outdoor air pollution comes from a variety of sources, and even at low levels, has an impact on human health. It leads to disease, increased hospitalizations and even premature death.
Outdoor air pollution is a complex mixture of gas and particles, including:
- ozone
- sulphur oxides
- nitrogen oxides
- particulate matter (PM)
- volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Smog
A visible haze in the air is often described as "smog." Smog is a mix of different kinds and amounts of pollutants. Scientists don't study the health effects of smog itself. Instead, they look at the individual pollutants found in smog to determine their health effects.
Most people in Canada are exposed to air pollution every day while inside and outside their homes. Even though air pollution levels are low in Canada compared to those in other countries, addressing issues of air quality remains a priority for us.
You can take action to reduce air pollution in your community. Learn more about how you can help make the air cleaner and healthier for everyone.
Health impacts of air pollution overall in Canada
Health Canada estimates that in Canada in 2018, air pollution was linked to:
- 17,400 premature deaths
- 3.6 million asthma symptom days
- 39 million acute respiratory symptom days
We estimate that the health impacts of air pollution in Canada represent a monetary value of $146 billion each year (based on 2020 currency).
When we conduct analyses of the health impacts of air pollution, we use the best available health and air quality data for Canada.
We determine ambient levels of the pollutants using:
- ground measurements
- satellite measurements
- air quality computer models
We estimate the exposure to air pollution in Canada by combining air pollution and population distribution maps. We select concentration-response functions that represent the relationship between exposure to an air pollutant and health outcomes from published health studies. We then use mathematical equations to estimate the:
- number of premature deaths (and other health effects) in Canada
- monetized value of the air pollution health impacts in Canada
Other health organizations, both in Canada and internationally, use a similar method.
Our most recent analysis shows an increase in air pollution health impacts in 2018 compared to our 2016 estimate of 15,300 premature deaths. However, air pollution levels did not worsen during this time. Improvements in the ambient PM2.5 air quality model account for the difference.
We redid our analysis of the 2016 health burden using the improved model. The new analysis links 17,700 premature deaths due to air pollution. Thus, the 2018 estimates show a slight improvement in the air pollution health burden in Canada.
Overall, despite the relatively low levels of air pollutants in Canada compared to other parts of the world, air pollution continues to impact the health of people in Canada.
Learn more:
- Health impacts of air pollution in Canada, 2024 report
- Latest global data on air quality and health (State of Global Air)
Health impacts of wildfire smoke-related air pollution
Wildfires are a key natural source of outdoor air pollution in Canada. We estimate that in recent years in Canada, air pollution from wildfire smoke contributed to:
- several hundred to several thousand premature deaths annually
- these numbers vary with the severity, intensity and location of the wildfires
- many asthma episodes, hospital admissions for heart and respiratory problems, and other health outcomes
We estimate the annual cost of the health impacts of wildfire smoke-related air pollution in Canada at $5 billion to $21 billion.
Health impacts of traffic-related air pollution
Traffic-related air pollution affects all people in Canada. We estimate the socio-economic cost of health impacts of traffic-related air pollution in Canada at $9.5B per year, based on 2015 currency.
Learn about the health impact of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP).
Contact us
For more information on air pollution, please contact us:
Email: air@hc-sc.gc.ca
Telephone: 1-833-223-1014 (toll free)
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