Island, Italy
Air quality in Sicily
Moderate
The annual average PM2.5 in Sicily was 13 µg/m³ in 2021, about 2.6 times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³. Etna ash or Saharan dust can affect air near Catania; wildfire smoke possible in July–August.
Key facts
- PM2.5: 13 µg/m³ yearly average (2021). Measured at Palermo, 2 km away.
- PM10: 26 µg/m³ (2021).
- Nitrogen dioxide: 29 µg/m³ (2021), mostly from traffic.
- Recent average: 11.7 µg/m³ over the last five years of measurements.
PM2.5 by year
| Year | Annual average |
|---|---|
| 2021 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2018 |
Air quality across Italy
| Place | PM2.5 | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Cinque Terre | 9 µg/m³ | Fairly clean |
| Syracuse | 10 µg/m³ | Fairly clean |
| Calabria | 10 µg/m³ | Fairly clean |
| Lake Maggiore | 10.2 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Genoa | 11 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Umbria | 11 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Rome | 12 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Florence | 12 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Tuscany | 12 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Puglia | 12 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Bari | 12 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Amalfi Coast | 12.8 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Sicily | 13 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Pisa | 13 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Palermo | 13 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Catania | 13 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Lecce | 13 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Abruzzo | 13 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Sardinia | 13.1 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Cagliari | 13.1 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Lake Como | 14.8 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Naples | 15 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Bologna | 15 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Rimini | 15 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Lake Garda | 18.4 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Bergamo | 19 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Milan | 20 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Verona | 20 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Turin | 20 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Venice | 22 µg/m³ | Polluted |
Quick answers
Is the air in Sicily bad?
Moderate: 13 µg/m³ of PM2.5 on average, 2.6× the WHO guideline.
When is the air worst in Sicily?
Etna ash or Saharan dust can affect air near Catania; wildfire smoke possible in July–August.
How does Sicily compare with the rest of Italy?
People in Italy breathe 14 µg/m³ of PM2.5 on average (2023, World Bank/WHO), against 13 µg/m³ measured here.
More about Sicily
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Sources
- WHO Ambient Air Quality Database
- WHO air quality guidelines (2021)
- Live air quality map (WAQI)
- Palermo Airport (GESAP)
- Catania Airport (SAC)
- Trenitalia
- ARNAS Civico Palermo
Annual averages are measured values reported to the WHO; check a live map for today's air. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.