A group of health organisations has called on municipal election candidates to make air quality a top priority, pointing to ongoing concerns about particulate pollution in Iceland’s urban areas. 

The coalition—made up of the Icelandic Lung Association, the Asthma and Allergy Association of Iceland, Hjartaheill and SÍBS—sent a letter to candidates in the capital region and Akureyri ahead of the upcoming local elections.

In the letter, candidates are urged to clearly explain how they plan to reduce particulate pollution and avoid harmful air conditions. 

The organisations stressed that air quality is a recurring issue in Iceland’s largest towns and highlighted the important role municipalities play in addressing the problem.

Chairman of Icelandic lung Association Andrjes Guðmundsson told Healthy.mt:

All measurements tell us that Iceland has one of the best air qualities on earth. We Icelanders are proud to be able to boast of that. But that does not mean that the country’s inhabitants are spotless and that pollution is not present in Iceland.

He pointed out that the growing number of cars on the roads is increasing dust pollution, especially during calm winter weather, when particles settled on streets are stirred up and become more noticeable.

The Chairman of the Icelandic Lung Association, Andrjes Guðmundsson, concluded that more consistent street cleaning is needed to address the problem. While these episodes are often short-lived and measured over longer cycles, they can still lead to periods when air quality becomes unacceptable.

30.04.2026.