Suspended particulates measurements in Reykjavík around New Year's
Public Health Authority
During the final hours of 2024 and the early hours of 2025, suspended particulates pollution was severe in the capital area. However, the pollution was of shorter duration and less severe than feared due to weather conditions. Later in the night, particulate pollution had become minimal, but on New Year's Day some nitrogen dioxide pollution was measured in the city. Suspended particulates readings exceeded 24-hour health protection limits at the Environment Agency monitoring station on Grensásvegur.
Finer than traffic-related suspended particulates
Suspended particulates are the finest type of dust particles that easily enter the respiratory system. Health protection limits are set at 50 micrograms per cubic meter per 24-hour period for PM10 (suspended particles about 10 micrometers in size). The suspended particulates created when fireworks are set off are finer than traffic-related suspended particulates, and the proportion of the smallest particles, PM2.5 and PM1, is much higher. These particles travel deeper into the lungs and have easier access to the bloodstream. For these reasons, the finest suspended particulates are much more dangerous to health than larger particles. A notably high proportion of the finest suspended particulates was measured on New Year's Eve and New Year's night.
The tables below show the 24-hour average of suspended particulates at air quality monitoring stations in Reykjavík on Jan. 1, 2025 (table 1) and the concentration of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 during the first hours of the year at all monitoring stations on Jan. 1, 2025. Finally, table 5 shows a historical overview of suspended particulates concentration (PM10) during the first hour of the year at the monitoring station on Grensásvegur from 2012 to the present.
Table 1: 24-hour average of suspended particulates (PM10 and PM2.5) on Jan. 1, 2026, in micrograms per cubic meter.
| Monitoring station |
24-hour: PM10 Micrograms per cubic meter |
24-hour: PM2.5 Micrograms per cubic meter |
| Grensás | 54.1 | - |
| Reykjavík Family Park & Zoo | 41.2 | 33.8 |
| Associated Icelandic Ports monitoring station in Laugarnes | 48.8 | 41.1 |
Table 2: PM10 concentration during the first hours of the year at monitoring stations in Reykjavík on Jan. 1, 2025
| Monitoring station | At 00-01: Micrograms per cubic meter | At 01-02: Micrograms per cubic meter | At 02-03: Micrograms per cubic meter |
| Grensás | 633 | 148 | 88 |
| Reykjavík Family Park & Zoo | 501.6 | 244.6 | 38 |
| Associated Icelandic Ports monitoring station in Laugarnes | 51.65 | 81.1 | 569.4 |
Table 3: PM2.5 concentration during the first hours of the year at monitoring stations in Reykjavík on Jan. 1, 2025
| Monitoring station | At 00-01: Micrograms per cubic meter | At 01-02: Micrograms per cubic meter | At 02-03: Micrograms per cubic meter |
| Grensás | - | - | - |
| Reykjavík Family Park & Zoo | 434.7 | 216 | 31.1 |
| Associated Icelandic Ports monitoring station in Laugarnes |
44.1
|
69.9 | 499.9 |
Table 4: PM1 concentration during the first hours of the year at monitoring stations in Reykjavík on Jan. 1, 2025
| Monitoring station | At 00-01: Micrograms per cubic meter | At 01-02: Micrograms per cubic meter | At 02-03: Micrograms per cubic meter |
| Grensás | - | - | - |
| Reykjavík Family Park & Zoo | 418.7 | 209.8 | 29.8 |
| Associated Icelandic Ports monitoring station in Laugarnes |
43
|
68 | 487.3 |
Table 5: Suspended particulates concentration (PM10) at Grensás during the first hour of the year since 2012
| Year | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Suspended particulates concentration on Grensásvegur | 633 | 988 | 362 | 49 | 653 | 317 | 985 | 1,457 | 1,451 | 363 | 215 | 245 | 475 | 1,014 |