Suspended particulates measurements in Reykjavík on New Year's Day 2026

Ritstjórn

Public Health Authority

New Year's at Perlan in Öskjuhlíð

During the final hours of 2025 and the early hours of 2026, suspended particulates pollution was severe in the capital area.

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, with a higher proportion of the smallest particles, PM2.5 and PM1. 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. Fireworks pollution contains both heavy metals and other harmful substances created during combustion. A notably high proportion of the finest suspended particulates was measured on New Year's Eve and New Year's night.

The highest measured hourly PM10 reading in Reykjavík was recorded at 2 a.m. at the Grensás monitoring station at 1,043.4 micrograms per cubic meter. At the same time, the highest PM2.5 reading was recorded there at 676.3 micrograms per cubic meter. Suspended particulates exceeded the 24-hour health standards for PM10 at three of five monitoring stations in Reykjavík. No 24-hour health standards exist for PM2.5, but the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a limit of 15 micrograms per cubic meter. The 24-hour PM2.5 readings exceeded those limits at all stations except one on New Year's Day in Reykjavík.
 

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 121 64.6
Reykjavík Family Park & Zoo 45.1 33.2
Mobile station I Mjódd 19.5 11.1
Mobile station III Hlíðarfótur 63 44.5
Associated Icelandic Ports monitoring station in Laugarnes 91.8 65.7

 
Table 2: Suspended particulates concentration (PM10) at Grensás during the first hours of the year since 2013.

Year 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
Suspended particulates concentration on Grensásvegur 512 633 988 362 49 653 317 985 1,457 1,451 363 215 245 475