According to the “IQAir” platform, where air quality measurements are made in all countries of the world, Pristina is ranked as the 13th city with the most polluted air, with an air quality index of 158, which is considered “unhealthy”.
Meanwhile, the Kosovo Hydrometeorological Institute has announced that there will be dense fog in low-lying areas today as well. Therefore, it is advised that sensitive people avoid unnecessary outings, while drivers are advised to exercise increased caution while driving.
Pristina has ranked 13th in the world as the city with the most polluted air. According to the “IQAir” platform, which measures air quality in all countries of the world, Pristina is ranked as the 13th city with the most polluted air, with an air quality index of 158, which is considered “unhealthy”.
Air quality specialists say that the situation is worrying and that meteorological conditions are also contributing to the deterioration of this situation.
“Based on the measurements we have received from the Hydrometeorological Institute in real time, we have an excess of PM2.5 and PM10 dust particles, which remain suspended in the air. What is worsening this situation are the meteorological conditions, such as high air humidity, low temperatures and lack of wind, which directly affect air quality,” Mentor Shala, an air quality specialist, told RTK.
He says that the best protection in this situation is to reduce going outside, especially for some sensitive categories.
“We recommend that sensitive age groups, such as the elderly, children and people with chronic diseases, reduce their frequency of going outside and reduce their outings as much as possible when the air quality is not good. From the monitoring and the fog we observe, we find that the conditions are not good mainly in the morning, evening and at night,” he added.
Shala says that the air quality situation is expected to improve from Wednesday, when rainfall and a change in weather conditions are forecast.
However, he expresses concern about the end-of-year festivities, due to the use of pyrotechnics, which, according to him, cause major pollution through the release of heavy metals into the air.
Otherwise, the cities with the cleanest air are listed as Bern in Switzerland, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, San Francisco in the USA, Melbourne in Australia, Vancouver in Canada, Lisbon in Portugal, Helsinki in Finland, as well as other cities.
Before Pristina, the most polluted cities are mainly from Pakistan, India, Egypt and Bangladesh. While from the region, Belgrade and Sarajevo are considered the most polluted.