How do the AQHI levels reached in Nova Scotia compare to levels in other locations in Canada?
One has to be careful when comparing AQHI levels among provinces, as each province (and locations within each province) has unique outdoor air quality issues and sources of air pollution. AQHI levels in Atlantic Canada do tend to be low, likely as a result of the smaller population and levels of industry as compared with other areas in the country. However, we do receive pollution from other provinces and states which can increase our pollution levels. Larger cities such as Toronto can experience elevated AQHI levels. For example, a very smoggy day in a large city could register as high as a 6 to 8 on the AQHI scale. It is important to note, however, that for cities across Canada to date the AQHI tends to reside in the low-risk end of the scale 70% of the time.
