The cities in the European Environment Agency’s report were ranked based on PM2.5 concentration.
The global processes taking place in our world have been the focus of attention in several ways in the past period. The emission of greenhouse gases, the resulting extreme climate and the plastic particles that are slowly creeping everywhere are all problems waiting to be solved, but perhaps none of them are as urgent as air pollution, which is responsible for so many deaths and even more chronic diseases.
Based on the fine dust (PM2.5), which appears in increasing concentrations in the polluted air, a concretely measurable value can be used to determine the air pollution of certain areas. The European Environmental Protection Agency (EEA) has now conducted such an investigation, in the framework of which major European cities were ranked in terms of pollution.
On the list, although not at the top, five Hungarian cities also took a “prominent” place. During the investigation, the EEA staff monitored the air quality of 372 large European cities, in the framework of which the air quality of the examined areas was measured over two calendar years.
Based on this, Budapest is 242nd, Pécs 246th, Veszprém 254th, Szeged 274th and Győr 295th on the list. According to the report investigating the level of air pollution, the situation is devastating, as more and more people die every year due to the high values. In 2021, air pollution was the second leading cause of death among minors on our planet.
The EEA ranking starts from the cleanest (1st) and ends with the most polluted (372nd). Thus, it is easy to see that the situation is really bad in the Hungarian cities on the list. According to data from the Air Working Group, the phenomenon is the cause of about 10,000 premature deaths in Hungary every year, and related diseases affect about 10 percent of the population.
A few years ago, the WHO updated its air quality recommendations, according to which it set the health limit for PM2.5 at an annual average of 5 micrograms/cubic meter. In comparison, the EU target value is currently 25 micrograms. The process will soon be completed, as a result of which the current regulation, which has proven to be insufficient, will be fully revised.
Hungary’s air pollution map doesn’t look bad at the moment, but if the heating season starts parallel to the cooling of the weather, the situation will certainly worsen due to mixed fuel solutions. According to experts, the current situation could be greatly improved with heating support for the needy and with more serious sanctions for violations.
Source: www.zoldpalya.hu
