Montreal air quality drops in 2014

The air quality in Montreal was considerably worsein 2014 compared to previous years, according to city datacompiled by Radio-Canada.

Overall, the number of days when the air was considered "poor"anddangerous to public health jumped 21 per cent from last year.

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The number of days when the air quality was deemed"acceptable"remained stable, while the number where the air was deemed "good" dropped. The number of days when it was poor rose from 53 in 2013 to 64 in 2014.

Until 2014, air quality in the city had actually been improving over the past decade.

Andr Blisle, head of theQuebec Association against Air Pollution, said the 2013-2014 winterthe coldest in 20 years is likely amajor reason for the reversal.

"The colder it is, the more people tend to use wood to heat their homes, Blisle said.

Other factors may include an increase in traffic as well as the mixture of chemicals used to keep roads free from ice and snow. According to Blisle, those particles can be swept into the air indry and windy conditions.

Karine Price, a toxicologist at the Public Health Department of Montreal, said the findings are troubling.

"When we talk about people more vulnerable to the effects of pollution, we talk about older people, people with chronic diseases, such as heart and lung diseases, as well as children with asthma," she said.