Air Pollution 101

What is "air pollution"?

Air pollution refers to the presence of harmful substances in the atmosphere. It is usually caused by energy use and production. Air pollution can cause and be caused by climate change which creates a neverending loop. When greenhouse gases, such as methane or carbon dioxide, are released, the earth's temperature rises up because they trap the heat in the atmosphere. This heat leads to another type of air pollution: smog. It can be seen in the air above big cities or industrial areas when there is more ultraviolet radiation and the weather is warmer. The most common one we see is the photochemical smog which occurs when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides (comes from car exhaust or coal power plants, for example) and in the air, there is at least one volatile organic compound (VOC), which can be released from gasoline.

Air Pollution in Sofia

The main cause of air pollution in Sofia is the heat from burning garbage, wood, and coal, from road traffic or factories in or around the city. Sofia is the biggest and most populated city in Bulgaria and its geographic location in a valley means that there is a lack of wind so the polluted air cannot get out, thus there is an air inversion.

But another big pollutant is dust, more specifically fine dust particles, that comes from uncleaned streets, construction sites, and resuspension of soils which happens when the same dust from the streets is spread with vehicles park in clean areas, such as gardens or parks. Coal plants have been the most responsible for the spread of nitrogen oxides that can cause smog.

A video from a drone of the smog over Sofia in early January when annually the air pollution is the highest.

https://www.endseurope.com/article/1701844/bulgaria-fined-air-quality-breaches

So what about it?

Air pollution stays one of the biggest problems in Bulgaria and there are many different sides to it. The one this project is focused on is fine dust particles. During the warmer seasons, pollution is at a far lower level than during the winter in Sofia. That is because cold air is denser, therefore, moves slower, THEREFORE, it traps the pollution in one place. As I already mentioned, Sofia is in a valley, so the air is already stuck because there is not enough wind. So, both of these factors combined make the matter two times worse during the winter.

What is AQI and PM2.5?

AQI is short for air quality index. It goes from 0-500 and the greater the level of pollution, the greater the health concern PM is short for particulate matter and when you go to check the air quality on the internet you are likely to see two types of PM: PM10 and PM2.5. The difference between these two is that one is 10 micrometers or less in diameter, while the latter is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter. Because they are smaller (only 3% of the diameter of human hair), PM2.5 can go deeper into our body which cannot recognize it because of its size so it does not defend itself, and can get stuck in our lungs, and bloodstream.

During short-term exposure, health effects such as irritation in the eyes, nose, or throat, sneezing, coughing, and shortness of breath may occur.
During a longer exposure, PM2.5 can become deadly for some; those with lung and heart problems, elders, and children are the most sensitive. Places with PM2.5 report higher rates of chronic bronchitis, and increased mortality from lung cancer and heart disease. It can worsen other medical conditions such as asthma.

AQI Basics | AirNow.Gov. https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics.

Why is it important?

Air Pollution and Health in Bulgaria

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Bulgaria has the highest rate of premature deaths due to air pollution in the European Union. 217 deaths per 100,000 people are attributed to household and ambient air pollution which is more than 15,000 early deaths per year. Bulgaria had the highest PM2.5 concentrations of all EU28 member states in urban areas over a three-year average in a report from 2017.

In 2017, the EU Court of Justice ordered Bulgaria to work on improving its air because it has constantly breached the EU air quality laws. Nothing much was done to improve it and Bulgaria is facing severe financial penalties if it continues to remain inactive.

The Green Deal

The Green Deal is an action plan which strives to make the EU's economy sustainable and climate-neutral by the year 2050. Its main goals are: relying on renewable energy, cutting off greenhouse gases by at least 55% by 2030, therefore, decarbonizing the energy sector, supporting cleaner and cheaper private and public transport, ensuring buildings are more energy-efficient, introducing a circular economy, and zero pollution by 2050.

So far the Bulgarian government has only declared that it wants to keep its thermal power stations (на български ТЕЦ-овете) for as long as possible. By 2025 any support from the government of the coal business is going to be forbidden, which would make the price of the electricity produced higher, anyways. Bulgaria is still not ready with its regional plans concerning the policies of the Green Deal. Even the neighboring countries, Greece, Romania, and the most coal-dependent one in EU, Poland, have already come up with a plan on how to leave coal behind and limit greenhouse gases.

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