Finland has one of the cleanest air you can breathe. It comparable in size to Germany but has very small population with only 5.5 million inhabitants. In Germany approximately 238 people live per square kilometer while in Finland it’s only 18 people per square kilometer. That’s one point why Finlands air is so good but not the only one. 75% of the land area in Finland is covered with trees. The more trees, the more oxygen they produce wich makes the air quality much better.
The World Healt Organization (WHO) declared Finland to have the cleanest air in 2016 after taking measurements in 2500 different locations in almost 100 countrys between. 2008 and 2016.
Finland’s fine dust pollution is 6 micrograms per cubic meter while the EU generally has an amount of 40 micrograms per cubic meter which is over three times more than the WHO recommends.
When I was in Finland myself I thought of ways to check how you can notice the better air. Looking how good you can see the stars in the night (compared to Germany) was one idea I had (the less air pollution, the better you can see the stars) but it was mainly cloudy in the nights which is why I couldn’t check it that ways. But I found another idea while doing research on this topic. There is moss called beard moss. It is a sign for very clean air because it is very sensitive about air pollution why it appears only at places with a high oxygen rate. When we went hiking in the forest I tried spotting it and I actually found it. I have never seen it in Germany.
That way I was able to prove that Finland´s air quality is acctually better.
It is said about the Finish people that they are happier than people in other countries. Clean and damp air is good for the respiratory tracks but it has also an effect on mental well-being: it makes happier.
By Shermine