IbizaPreservation’s Sustainability Observatory confirms that nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter levels have remained below legal limits in recent years.
Ibiza, 27-04-2025 – Air quality on the island of Ibiza once again recorded positive values during 2024 , according to the analysis carried out by the IbizaPreservation Sustainability Observatory with preliminary data collected by the four fixed stations of the Climate Change and Atmosphere Service of the Balearic Government . This data is part of the Ibiza 2024 Sustainability Report , currently being prepared and fully funded by the Consell Insular d’Eivissa.
“Good air quality means breathing a clean and safe environment, with low concentrations of pollutants that affect health and the environment,” explains Elisa Langley , coordinator of the Observatory, adding: “On a health level, this translates into a lower incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, especially in children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups.” But that’s not all. As IbizaPreservation points out: “From an environmental perspective, it means more balanced ecosystems, healthier crops, and a reduced impact on climate change.”
The data compiled in the 2024 Report shows that, last year, 98.1% of measurements obtained at the Vila, Sant Antoni, Can Misses, and Torrent stations showed nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels below 40 μg /m³, which corresponds to air quality rated as “very good” in relation to this pollutant. This percentage is slightly better than the 97.8% recorded in 2023. Furthermore, there have been no exceedances of the limit of 201 μg/m³ since 2022.
Regarding ozone (O 3 ), this has also registered an improvement in its values since 2014 , when 37 episodes exceeding the maximum daily limit value ( 120 μ g/m3) were recorded. Ten years later, in 2024, these episodes have dropped to 15. Compared to the data from a decade ago, the decrease is 59.45%. According to the Observatory, “the fact that ozone concentrations in Ibiza have shown a downward trend in the last decade is a positive fact, since the reduction of tropospheric ozone improves air quality. It should be noted that before 2015, episodes exceeding the maximum daily limit occurred frequently on 50 or more days a year.”
High ozone concentrations can have negative impacts on both human health and local ecosystems. These episodes are linked to the emission of polluting gases that react with sunlight , especially on hot, sunny days. To reduce this type of pollution, measures such as promoting public transportation, using clean energy, and regulating certain industrial and tourist activities are very useful.
General improvement in air quality
The annual average of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) has also decreased : in 2024 it was 7.96 μg/m³ , below the legal limit of 30 μg/m³ and the averages recorded in 2023 (8.15 μg/m³) and 2022 (8.52 μg/m³). “The continued decline in this pollutant in recent years is a very positive sign since nitrogen dioxide is associated with acid rain and can affect respiratory health and the balance of ecosystems ,” explain the IbizaPreservation Sustainability Observatory.
Another of the toxic polluting substances analyzed in the IbizaPreservation Sustainability Report is sulfur dioxide (SO₂) , which maintained “very good” levels in 2024, with values always below 100 μg/m³, a trend that has remained unchanged since 2021.
The worst part of the analysis is the particulate matter (PM10), as the Can Misses station recorded 7 days in which the daily limit of 50 μg/m³ was exceeded, the same number of days as were recorded in es Torrent , while in Sant Antoni it was exceeded on 5 occasions. The annual average was 18.6 μg/m³ , compared to 16.59 μg/m³ the previous year, still well below the legal threshold of 40 μg/m³. These 19 events, which occurred over 7 days, make 2024 the year with the highest number of episodes of this type since 2002, the year from which records began. This pollutant is related to sources such as traffic, thermal power plants, and natural phenomena such as calima (heat haze).
“Breathing clean air not only protects people’s health, but is also key to preserving environmental balance,” concludes Langley, who emphasizes that the continued presence of pollutants “affects water quality, degrades soils, and alters local ecosystems.”
