Why is air quality bad in Albuquerque today? Albuquerque air pollution is attributed to a combination of mobile sources (motor vehicles and planes), stationary sources (power plants, oil refineries and factories), and area sources (agricultural areas and wood burning fireplaces).

Fine particles in the air (measured as PM_2.5) are so small that they can travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs, causing short-term health effects such as eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath.