Brazil Air Quality
The world's largest tropical country faces a dual air quality crisis: Amazon deforestation fires that blanket the continent in smoke each burning season, and chronic urban pollution from São Paulo's 10M+ vehicle fleet.
São Paulo AQI Overview
Monthly AQI Pattern — São Paulo
Burning season peaks August–September as Amazon fires intensify
The Amazon Fire Problem
Brazil loses 10,000–15,000 km² of Amazon forest annually to illegal clearing and agricultural burning. The peak burning season runs July–October, when landowners set fires during the dry season to clear land for cattle pasture and soy cultivation.
During peak burning years (2019, 2020 were record highs), smoke blankets the entire northern half of South America. São Paulo — 2,500 km from the main fire zones — experienced a “Black Day” in August 2019 when smoke blocked sunlight at 3pm, turning the sky dark. PM2.5 readings exceeded 150 μg/m³ for multiple days.
Brazil's national space agency INPE tracks fire alerts via satellite. In 2020, 211,000 fire alerts were recorded in the Amazon — the highest in a decade. Deforestation enforcement under the 2023 Lula government has reduced fires, but agricultural frontier burning remains a major seasonal air quality driver.
Urban Pollution: São Paulo
10M+ Vehicles
São Paulo has more cars than most countries. The vehicle fleet grew 300% between 1980 and 2024. CETESB data shows vehicle exhaust accounts for ~70% of urban PM2.5 in São Paulo.
Rodízio Vehicle Restriction
São Paulo's rodízio municipal restricts each vehicle one weekday based on license plate. Introduced in 1997, it remains one of Latin America's largest vehicle restriction programs.
Industrial ABC Region
The ABC (Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo, São Caetano) industrial region south of São Paulo hosts heavy industry, steel, and auto manufacturing — a persistent PM2.5 source.
CETESB Monitoring
The São Paulo State Environmental Agency (CETESB) operates 60+ air quality monitoring stations — one of Latin America's most comprehensive urban monitoring networks.