Pollution alerts raised in France: how to check if your area is affected and what to do
High temperatures are contributing to the deterioration of air quality across the country
There is no centralised point of reference for French air quality updates, restrictions, or recommended measures
D.Bond/Shutterstock
Air quality across France has deteriorated as high temperatures aggravate ozone pollution levels.
Three departments in the south-east of France (Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-Maritimes and Vaucluse) have been placed on level 1 orange alert for ozone pollution.
Ozone is considered a pollutant at lower levels (caused by fossil fuels), and is amplified by UV radiation and high temperatures (above 30° C).
Other regions such as Brittany, Occitanie, and Ile-de-France, are also affected by a level 2 red alert for ‘poor’ air quality.
Air quality is expected to worsen over the weekend before improving at the start of next week.
Pollutants can be harmful to both the environment and human health, and can cause:
Increased or worsened cardiovascular and respiratory problems (bronchiolitis, excessive coughing, asthma attacks, etc.),
Increased eye irritation,
Increased sensitivity to infections and allergens.
We look at steps you can take to help combat the impact of pollution, including where to find official advice, and how to understand what each alert level means.
Read also: Fire smoke from Canada seen over France: is it a health risk?
How can you check if your area is affected?
Police commissioners, in partnership with regional and departmental préfectures, are charged with defining and implementing appropriate measures to reduce emissions and inform the public.
There is no centralised database issuing local pollution alerts. Instead, you can check the website or social media pages of your préfecture or mairie.
Alternatively, you can use online pollution-monitoring tools such as Airparif (Ile-de-France) or Recosanté. The latter offers an email subscription containing information on current environmental conditions (air pollution, drinking water quality, UV rays, pollen, pesticides, etc.) and practical recommendations to help you take action.
What do the alert thresholds mean?
The information and alert procedure for pollution levels applies to three pollutants (low-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter) and can be issued on two levels of increasing severity.
The alert procedure is triggered when a threshold for at least one of the three pollutants has been exceeded.
This generally happens in one of two situations: when increased pollution levels cover at least 100 km² of a region, or when they impact at least 10% of a department’s population.
“Once the procedure has been triggered, the information, actions, recommendations and measures taken by the authorities to reduce pollution come into force for 24 hours. They are renewed if necessary,” states Airparif’s website.
Alert level 1 (orange)
This orange alert level is triggered when short-term exposure presents a health risk to particularly sensitive or vulnerable groups within the population, including pregnant women, young children, over 65s, those with asthma or other cardiovascular or respiratory problems.
Many departments decide to issue advice to these groups and recommend actions to reduce emissions.
Common advice issued at this level is:
Opt for quiet, indoor activities,
Continue to open windows to air homes and workspaces for at least 10 minutes per day,
Favour shorter outings and those requiring the least effort,
Avoid outings in the afternoon when sun is at its peak,
Reduce or even postpone intense physical and sporting activities, including competitions. Indoor activities can be maintained.
Avoid additional exposure to irritants (tobacco, cleaning products, wood fires, etc.),
Be vigilant for the appearance of symptoms that may be suggestive (coughing, respiratory discomfort, eye irritation),
Do not hesitate to seek medical advice.
The general public do not have to alter their daily routines.
Alert level 2 (red)
This more severe alert level is triggered when short-term exposure presents a risk to the health of the entire population or to environmental degradation, justifying emergency measures.
At ‘red’ level, as well as respecting the existing ‘orange’ advice, driving restrictions are commonly imposed:
On certain roads drivers must reduce their speed by 20km/h (controls are reinforced). This can mean reducing the speed limit to 110km/h on motorways and 70km/h on national and departmental roads.
In some cities (such as Paris and Lyon), circulation alternée (alternating traffic) may be implemented. This is when drivers can only use their vehicle if the last number on its registration plate is even (on even-numbered calendar dates) or odd (on odd-numbered calendar dates).
HGVs weighing over 3.5 tonnes can also be asked to avoid driving through urban centres.
Read also: Do high temperatures affect driving rules in France?
Some regions or departments will also encourage residents to:
Note that advice and restrictions are issued at departmental levels and so may differ in different parts of the country.
All recommendations are approved by France’s public health service.
Visit official dedicated pollution webpages for more information (example Deux-Sevres).
