Data from the Annual Report on the State of Air Quality in the Republic of Serbia for 2023, published by the Environmental Protection Agency, showed that air quality significantly improved last year, compared to 2022.
Data on systematic air quality measurement, collection and processing of measurement results, were submitted by 42 local governments, with a total of 275 stations and measuring points of state and local air quality networks, which is the largest influx of data so far.
During the last year, the most numerous measurements were for suspended particles PM10, followed by measurements nitrogen dioxidesulfur dioxide, suspended particles PM2.5, and at least carbon monoxide and ground-level ozone. The measurement covered ten types of substances, and in 2023, as in previous years, suspended particles PM10 were the dominant pollutant in the territory of Serbia.
Based on the processed measurement results, an assessment of the state of air quality in 2023 was obtained. In the Serbia zone, the air was clean or slightly polluted, except in the cities of Kruševac, Šabac, Kragujevac, Pirot, Loznica, Čačak, Paraćin (Popovac), Zaječar, Kraljevo, Novi Pazar and Valjevo. When it comes to the zone Vojvodina the air was clean or slightly polluted, except in Subotica and Sombor where it was excessively polluted.
In the agglomerations of Novi Sad, Niš, Pančevo, Smederevo, Kosjerić and Užice, the air was excessively polluted due to exceeding the limit values of suspended particles PM10 and PM2.5. Also in the agglomeration of Bor, the air was excessively polluted, due to exceeding the limit value of suspended particles PM10 and the limit value of lead. Excessively polluted air was also in the agglomeration of Belgrade, due to exceeding the limit values of nitrogen dioxide and suspended particles PM10 and PM2.5. Kruševac, Pirot, Novi Pazar and Valjevo were excessively polluted due to exceeding the limit values of suspended particles PM10 and PM2.5. In addition to these cities, due to exceeding the limit value of suspended particles PM10, the air was excessively polluted in Šabac, Kragujevac, Loznica, Čačak, Paraćin (Popovac), Zaječar, Kraljevo, Subotica and Sombor.
As stated in the Report, the air quality in no city or agglomeration had the category of excessively polluted, and that it was only a consequence of exceeding the limit value of suspended particles PM2.5.
Concentrations that are dangerous to human health were reported in Kostolac for sulfur dioxide once, and concentrations of ground ozone that are reported to the public were recorded in Belgrade and Novi Sad.
When talking about pollen monitoring, in 2023, the highest value of the maximum concentration of pollen grains for birch was registered in Kikinda, for grasses in Bečej, and for ragweed in Požarevac. The highest number of days with exceeding the threshold values of pollen grains for birch was recorded in Novi Sad, for grasses in Bečej and ragweed in Subotica.
Improvement of air quality
By comparing last year’s data with 2022, it was shown that air quality in 2023 was significantly improved. More precisely, in 2022, the annual limit value will be exceeded particle PM10was registered almost at every third measuring point, i.e. at 28 percent of measuring points, while last year the annual exceedance was registered at every ninth measuring point, i.e. at 11 percent of measuring points.
In the same period, the number of measuring points where exceeding the permitted number of days above the limit value was registered was reduced by 19 percent. Also, the scope of measurements, i.e. the number of measurement points for suspended particles PM10 in 2023, increased by 19 percent compared to the previous year.
When it comes to suspended particles PM2.5, the number of measuring points where these particles are measured increased last year by 38 percent compared to 2022. The number of measuring points where the annual limit value of PM2.5 was exceeded was 12 percent in 2023. smaller than in 2022.
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Source: energetskiportal.rs
