The quality of our air directly impacts our health and the natural environment, so we want our air to be as clean as possible. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks works to protect and improve air quality through legislation, targeted programs, and partnerships with other jurisdictions.
The Ministry has a network of 39 ambient (outside) air monitoring stations across the province that collect real-time air pollution data. This information is communicated to the public through Ontario's new Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) and as hourly concentrations of each pollutant. The Air Quality Health Index and data collected from our monitoring stations are posted on this website every hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As part of a partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Air Quality Health Index values and forecasts will also posted on the Environment and Climate Change Canada website. Each year, the ministry prepares an Air Quality Report to assess the state of air quality in Ontario based on the provincial Air Quality Health Index network.
Special Air Quality Statement (SAQS) for: Barrie - Orillia - Midland, Burk's Falls - Bayfield Inlet, City of Hamilton, City of Toronto, Dufferin - Innisfil, Dunnville - Caledonia - Haldimand, and more... Updated at 4:59 pm EDT, 8 June 2023. See SAQS Alert Details.
Hourly AQHI Reports: The AQHI is issued hourly and is a scale designed to help you understand what the quality of the air around you means to your health. It is based on the following pollutants in our air: Ozone (O3), Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).
Real-Time Pollutant Data: The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks reports real-time O3, PM2.5, NO2, Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) data in geographical, graphical and tabular formats every hour. See the newest results: Current Pollutant Concentrations.
Air Health Tip: Children, including teenagers, are at a higher risk from outdoor air pollution because when outdoors they are often active. Young people are more likely to have asthma and their lungs are still developing.
For more air health tips see the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Health Messages
Special Air Quality Statement