Air quality in Italy: where to check and what to do

Short answer. Phaenyx found no single national air quality index for Italy: air is monitored region by region by the environmental agencies (ARPA), such as Arpae in Emilia-Romagna ². The European Environment Agency's index rates every Italian station hourly in six levels, from "good" to "extremely poor" ¹. Under Italian law, ozone above 180 µg/m³ over one hour is the information threshold and 240 µg/m³ the alert threshold ³.

Where can I check air quality right now?

The quickest single map is the European Air Quality Index. It uses data that member countries report every hour, adds a modelled 1 x 1 km layer, and shows the past 48 hours and a 48-hour forecast; it has Android and iOS apps ¹.

For local detail, use your region's environmental agency. In Emilia-Romagna, for example, Arpae publishes maps of station data and model values, an ozone summary and air quality forecasts ². Other regions have their own agency, so search for "ARPA" plus your region's name.

What do the index levels mean?

Phaenyx found no official national index scale for Italy. The European index uses six levels: good, fair, moderate, poor, very poor and extremely poor ¹. A station's level is set by the worst of the pollutants it measures ¹. The first two bands, good and fair, are based on the WHO air quality guidelines ¹. The EEA notes that its index shows short-term (hourly) conditions, not the long-term situation ¹. See Air quality index explained.

Italian law also sets information and alert thresholds (Annex XII, unchanged since 2010) ³:

How polluted is the air on average?

The population-weighted median of Italian cities shows about 13 µg/m³ of PM2.5 (annual mean 2021-2023) ⁵, more than twice the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ ⁷. Nitrogen dioxide is about 12.2 µg/m³ ⁶, above the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m³ ⁷. That NO2 figure is a regional background over roughly 80 km: a busy street will be higher. These are city medians: a given town can be higher or lower.

What should I do on a bad air day, or with smoke or dust?

• Ozone or pollution episodes: Phaenyx found no national health advice for each level in Italy; follow your region's instructions. General advice is in Ozone days, Pollution episodes and People sensitive to polluted air.
• Wildfire: if you see flames, or even just smoke, call the fire brigade on 115 or the European emergency number 112 where it is active, and give the exact location and Comune ⁴. If you are caught near a fire, look for a safe escape route such as a road or a stream, and do not stop where the wind is blowing ⁴. Smoke rises, so lying down on ground without vegetation that can burn helps you avoid breathing it ⁴.
• Smoke indoors: see Wildfire smoke, A clean-air room at home and Masks for smoke.
• Dust: see Dust storms.

How warnings reach you is on our Italy alerts page. A household plan can note who at home is sensitive to polluted air and where to stay on bad days.

Frequently asked questions

Does Italy have a national air quality index?

Phaenyx found none. Regions publish their own data through their ARPA ²; the EEA index covers all of Italy ¹.

What ozone level triggers a warning in Italy?

180 µg/m³ over one hour is the information threshold; 240 µg/m³ is the alert threshold ³.

What number do I call if I see a wildfire?

115 for the fire brigade, or 112 where the single European number is active ⁴.

Is Italy's air above WHO guidelines?

Yes, on average. The median Italian city is above the WHO guidelines for both PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide ⁵⁶⁷.

Sources

1. European Environment Agency (EEA) — European Air Quality Index — https://airindex.eea.europa.eu/AQI/index.html (accessed 2026-10-27)
2. Arpae Emilia-Romagna — Aria (regional example) — https://www.arpae.it/it/temi-ambientali/aria (accessed 2026-10-27)
3. Normattiva (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) — Decreto legislativo 13 agosto 2010, n. 155 – Attuazione della direttiva 2008/50/CE relativa alla qualità dell'aria ambiente (Allegato XII, soglie di informazione e di allarme, testo vigente) — https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2010-08-13;155!vig= (accessed 2026-10-27)
4. Dipartimento della Protezione Civile (Io non rischio) — Cosa fare - Incendi boschivi — https://www.iononrischio.gov.it/it/preparati/incendi-boschivi/cosa-fare/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
5. Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group (ACAG), Washington University in St. Louis — Surface PM2.5, V6.GL.02.04 (annual mean 2021-2023) — https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/datasets/surface-pm2-5/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
6. Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) — CAMS global reanalysis (EAC4) — https://ads.atmosphere.copernicus.eu/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
7. World Health Organization (WHO) — WHO global air quality guidelines (2021) — https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240034228 (accessed 2026-10-27)