1

Federal Department of the Environment,

Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC

Federal Office for the Environment FOEN

Air Pollution Control and Chemicals Division

Graphics of annual values NABEL

The National Air Pollution Monitoring Network (NABEL) measures air pollution levels at

16 locations in Switzerland and monitors the development over the past few decades. The

stations are distributed throughout the country and monitor pollution at typical locations

(e.g. city-centre streets, residential areas, rural stations).

Time series data older than 1990 often exhibit gaps of a certain length. As pollutant concentra-

tions vary considerably throughout the year, theses gaps cannot be simply ignored. The data

series were therefore completed as follows: the monthly averages were calculated, then the

missing monthly averages were obtained by linear regression of data series from another meas-

uring station exhibiting similar variation over time, and finally, providing there were at least at

least four valid monthly averages available for the station, the yearly average was then calculat-

ed from these values. Isolated gaps in the data series of the stations of Basel-Binningen (NO2)

and Dübendorf (SO2) were interpolated directly by linear regression of the yearly averages.The

Bern measuring station had to be moved in 1997, though it remained along the same thorough-

fare hemmed in by tall buildings. The resulting inconsistencies in the time series were corrected.

___________________________________________________________________________

Particulate matter (PM10) ................................................................................................. 2

Ozone (O3) ......................................................................................................................... 4

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) ...................................................................................................... 6

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) .......................................................................................................... 8

Carbon monoxide (CO) ................................................................................................... 10

Lead (Pb) ......................................................................................................................... 11

Cadmium (Cd) ................................................................................................................. 12

Zinc (Zn) .......................................................................................................................... 13

Dust fallout ...................................................................................................................... 13

2

Particulate matter (PM10)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016

µg

/m³

Particulate matter (PM10, prior to 1997 calculated from TSP)annual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

0

20

40

60

80

100

1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

num

be

r o

f d

ays

Particulate matter (PM10)number of daily mean values > 50 µg/m³

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

3

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

µg

/m³

Particulate matter (PM10)maximum daily mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

4

Ozone (O3)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

µg

/m³

Ozone98th percentile of the 1/2-hour mean values of the ozone richest month

Stadt, Verkehr Stadt, Nord Stadt, Süd

Vorstädtisch Land, Nord Land,Süd

Voralpen/Jura Grenzwert LRV

Data: FOEN and Empa

0

500

1000

1500

2000

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

num

be

r o

f ho

urs

Ozonenumber of hourly values > 120 µg/m³

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard: 1 hour

Data: FOEN and Empa

5

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

num

be

r o

f d

ays

Ozonenumber of days with maximum hourly mean value > 120 µg/m³

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura

Data: FOEN and Empa

0

100

200

300

400

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

µg

/m³

Ozonemaximum hourly value

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

6

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016

µg

/m³

Nitrogen dioxideannual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

µg

/m³

Nitrogen dioxide95th percentile of the 1/2-hour mean values

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

num

be

r o

f d

ays

Nitrogen dioxidenumber of daily mean values > 80 µg/m³

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

µg

/m³

Nitrogen dioxidemaximum daily mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

8

Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016

µg

/m³

Sulfur dioxideannual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

µg

/m³

Sulfur dioxide95th percentile of the 1/2-hour mean values

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

9

0

50

100

150

200

250

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

µg

/m³

Sulfur dioxidemaximum daily mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

10

Carbon monoxide (CO)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016

mg

/m³

Carbon monoxideannual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Alpine foothills/Jura

Data: FOEN and Empa

0

2

4

6

8

10

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

mg

/m³

Carbon monoxidemaximum daily mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Alpine foothills/Jura

Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

11

Lead

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

ng

/m³

Lead in particulate matter (PM10, prior to 1997 calculated from TSP)annual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

µg

/(m

² d

ay)

Lead in dust falloutannual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

12

Cadmium (Cd)

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

ng

/m³

Cadmium in particulate matter (PM10, prior to 1997 calculated from TSP)annual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

µg

/(m

² d

ay)

Cadmium in dust falloutannual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

13

Zinc (Zn)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

µg

/(m

² d

ay)

Zinc in dust falloutannual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa

Dust fallout

0

50

100

150

200

250

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

mg

/(m

² d

ay)

Dust falloutannual mean

Urban, Traffic Urban, north Urban, south

Suburban Rural, north Rural, south

Alpine foothills/Jura Air quality standard

Data: FOEN and Empa