July 11 2024. On the occasion of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Airparif is launching a new hourly air quality forecast tool for each street and for the entire Île-de-France region. Now available on the Airparif website and mobile application, this tool will help spectators and all Ile-de-France residents to reduce their exposure to pollution. In partnership with the Île-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS-IDF), Airparif also makes health recommendations more accessible in the event of a pollution episode, thus providing increased protection for everyone during the Games. These new features will be continued after the Games and will, over time, improve the information provided to Ile-de-France residents on air pollution.
A reliable forecast of air quality at each Olympic venue
On the occasion of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Airparif is deploying a unique hour-by-hour, street-by-street forecasting tool for air quality throughout the Île-de-France region. Already, these fine forecasts are accessible on the Airparif website and on its application Google Play et Apple Store (depending on acceptance times on the stores). In particular, it will allow Ile-de-France residents and tourists to anticipate their exposure to air pollution and adapt their behavior accordingly.
In addition, Airparif is making available now and throughout the Games period on its website and its application the possibility of zooming in on each Olympic site to access local air quality maps.
Visual of the hourly air quality forecast platform on the Airparif website
More accessible health recommendations in the event of an episode of air pollution
While, like every summer, there is a risk of pollution episodes, particularly due to low altitude ozone due to sunshine and increased temperatures [more information on this pollutant and its origin], it is possible to stay informed via notifications from the Airparif application and its website, by subscribing to a email alert bulletin or via social networks.
On the occasion of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Airparif joined forces with the Regional Health Agency – Île-de-France (ARS-IDF) to improve the accessibility of health recommendations in the event of a pollution episode. These materials are now understandable for people who speak little or no French. They can be consulted on the Airparif and ARS-IDF websites and will be widely disseminated during each pollution episode [see for example here].
As a reminder, an episode of air pollution corresponds to a day during which the concentrations of pollutants reach levels having a short-term impact on human health: depending on the intensity of the episode, they can cause the same day and in the following days a worsening of certain pathologies, such as asthma, as well as an increase in hospitalizations. Very young, elderly people, or people suffering from pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular pathologies are particularly vulnerable.
Example of health recommendation in the event of an episode of low-altitude ozone pollution for sensitive and vulnerable people
Games and air quality
With reinforced monitoring and knowledge of historical pollution levels, Airparif will produce an assessment of the impact of this large-scale event on air quality at the end of the Games.
