--- title: ION Science Info Blog | urban air quality description: urban air quality | --- - [Distributor & Service Centre Portal](http://distributors.ionscience.com) - [Gas Search](http://www.ionscience.com/product-range/search-by-gas/) - Ion Science Offices UK Office USA Office Italy Office Germany Office China Office France Office [![HubSpotTemplateLogo](https://blog.ionscience.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/IONLogo.png?width=108&name=IONLogo.png "ION Science Logo")](http://www.ionscience.com) - - - [Home](http://www.ionscience.com/) - [Product Range](http://www.ionscience.com/product-range/) - [Instruments](http://www.ionscience.com/product-range/) - [PID Sensors](http://www.ionscience.com/product-range/pid-sensors/) - [Search by gas](http://www.ionscience.com/product-range/search-by-gas/) - [Search by industry](http://www.ionscience.com/industry/instruments/) - [Industries](http://www.ionscience.com/industry/instruments/) - [Instruments](http://www.ionscience.com/industry/instruments/) - [PID Sensors](http://www.ionscience.com/industry/sensors/) - [Where to Buy](http://www.ionscience.com/where-to-buy/) - [All Distributors](http://www.ionscience.com/where-to-buy/) - [Map](http://www.ionscience.com/where-to-buy/map/) - [Find a Service Centre](http://www.ionscience.com/where-to-buy/service-centre/) - [Customer Support](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/) - [Media Centre](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/) - [Application Articles](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/application-ariticles/) - [Brochures](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/brochures/) - [Customer case studies](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/customer-case-studies/) - [Instrument Gas Tables](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/instrument-gas-tables/) - [Instrument Software](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/instrument-software/) - [Quick Start Guides](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/quick-start-guides/) - [Manuals](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/instrument-manuals/) - [Technical Application Articles](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/technical-application-articles/) - [Technical Bulletins](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/technical-bulletins/) - [Video Library](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/media-centre/video-library/) - [Customer Feedback](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/customer-feedback/) - [Customer Testimonials](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/testimonials/) - [Distributor & Service Centre Login](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/distributor-login/) - [FAQs](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/faqs/) - [Instrument Registration](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/instrument-registration/) - [Service & Support](http://www.ionscience.com/customer-support/service-and-support/) - [Ion Science](http://www.ionscience.com/ion-science/about-us/) - [About us](http://www.ionscience.com/ion-science/about-us/) - [Careers](http://www.ionscience.com/ion-science/careers/) - [Current vacancies](http://www.ionscience.com/ion-science/careers/current-vacancies/) - [What it’s like to work for Ion Science](http://www.ionscience.com/ion-science/careers/what-its-like-to-work-for-ion-science/) - [Submit your CV](http://www.ionscience.com/ion-science/careers/submit-your-cv/) - [Exhibitions](http://www.ionscience.com/exhibitions/) - [History](http://www.ionscience.com/ion-science/history/) - [Campaigns](http://www.ionscience.com/campaigns/) - News/Blog - [Industry Blog](https://blog.ionscience.com/blog) - [Company News](http://www.ionscience.com/news/) - [Contact us](http://www.ionscience.com/contact/) - [Germany](http://www.ionscience.com/contact/germany-office/) - [Italy](http://www.ionscience.com/contact/italy-office/) - [UK](http://www.ionscience.com/contact/uk-office/) - [USA](http://www.ionscience.com/contact/usa-office/) - [Distributor & Services Centre Portal](http://distributors.ionscience.com/) # ION Science Industry Blog The latest industry news, knowledge and opinion. - [home](http://www.ionscience.com/) - News/Blog [![Urban Air Quality](https://blog.ionscience.com/hubfs/Urban%20air%20quality%202.jpg)](https://blog.ionscience.com/urban-air-quality) [News](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/news) [MiniPiD](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/minipid) [Gas Detection](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/gas-detection) [VOC](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/voc) [Clean Air](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/clean-air) [Health & Safety](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/health-safety) [Air Quality](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/air-quality) [PID detection](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/pid-detection) [urban air quality](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/urban-air-quality) 19 September 2019 ## Urban Air Quality ### Our atmosphere is dynamic. Biological, physical and chemical processes contribute to ‘clean air’, a gas mix which is remarkably well balanced for life and free of toxic gases and particulates.   Oxygen is at as high a concentration as enables aerobic organisms such as us to breath easily, whilst not so high as to cause unquenchable forest fires. Carbon dioxide is plentiful enough for plants to grow, both as a source of carbon and in retaining sufficient but not too much warmth from the sun. Elements essential for life such as sulfur and iodine are transported from land to sea in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Many gases, which are toxic or harmful to life are removed by chemical and physical adsorption on solid particles (particulates) which ultimately fall out of the air under gravity as dust or rain. What is more, through a series of chemical reactions, including reactions with sunlight (photochemical reactions), the atmosphere is kept almost completely free of specific VOCs released by plants, it would seem to their own and wider advantage. For example, it has been recently established that on being bruised, leaves release VOC messengers (pheromones) that attract predators of leaf eating insects! [*Read more! *](https://info.ionscience.com/download-your-free-guide-a-guide-on-urban-air-quality) [Gareth Jacob](https://blog.ionscience.com/author/gareth-jacob) [0](https://blog.ionscience.com/urban-air-quality#comments-listing) « Previous [1](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/urban-air-quality/page/1) Next » ## Subscribe to the ION newsletter Newsletter subscribers receive news and important information as soon as it is released ### Blog Categories - [Benzene (16)](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/benzene) - [VOC (15)](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/voc) - [Gas Detection (10)](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/gas-detection) - [Health & Safety (8)](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/health-safety) - [News (8)](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/news) - [Air Quality (7)](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/air-quality) - [Fire Investigation (7)](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/fire-investigation) - [HAZMAT (5)](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/hazmat) - [Oil & Gas (5)](https://blog.ionscience.com/topic/oil-gas) - 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