How is the Air of Turkey?

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The Turkish Thoracic Society has released a new report on the air pollution in Turkey, including a particle pollution map that was prepared on the basis of the limit values declared by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Turkey, the authorities "try to solve the problem of air pollution by reducing the number of the stations that measure the pollution and by reducing the number of the days of tracking the pollution," warned the report.

The report made the following points in brief:

Insufficient measurement

While the number of stations where the measurement is done insufficiently was 26 in 2017, this value increased to 48 in 2018.

In other words, in 2018, one in every four stations in Turkey did not perform measurements on a sufficient level.

It is attention-grabbing that the stations that do not perform measurements do no perform measurements in regions and periods that air pollution is high.

Air pollution in Turkey

In terms of particle pollution, Ardahan was our only province in 2018 that did not exceed the values permitted by the WHO in 2018.

In four of our five most clean provinces, Tunceli (21 µg/m3), Hakkâri (21 µg/m3), Rize (23 µg/m3), and Artvin (25 µg/m3), the levels of the particle pollution is accepted as polluted according to the limit values of the WHO.

Air pollution in İstanbul

In İstanbul in 2018, sufficient measurements were made only in nine stations out of 30.

In other words, sufficient measurements were not made in every two out of three stations in 2018.

When the years 2016 and 2018 are evaluated together, it is seen that no consistent decrease in the pollution in the measurements of the stations where measurements performed sufficiently at least for two years, apart from the station in the Kandilli and Sarıyer districts.

Air pollution in Ankara

The capital Ankara's air is polluted in terms of particle pollution according to both the national regulations and WHO limit values.

In the districts of Sincan (66 µg/m3), Keçiören (61 µg/m3), Ayaş (14 µg/m3) and Çankaya (60 µg/m3), the pollution reaches and exceeds the permitted limit value.

Air pollution in İzmir

Among the three big cities, İzmir, differing from Ankara and İstanbul, is the only city where sufficient measurements were performed in all stations.

Similarly, it is a province where the air pollution problem occurs less.

But, despite these advantages, there is not a consistent decrease in any district of İzmir apart from Alsancak. Besides, sufficient measurements were not made in Aliağa, where air pollution is pretty high.

The most polluted stations of Turkey (2016-2018)

Considering that Ağrı-Doğubeyazıt, Iğdır and Bursa are included in the first 10 stations in terms of particle pollution, it can be stated that these regions are consistent with regard to pollution.

On the other hand, it is seen that the highest particle pollution occurred in the provinces of Iğdır, Bursa, Manisa, Erzincan and Afyon between 2016 and 2018. This situation indicates that the air pollution problem in Turkey is not limited to metropoles such as İstanbul and Ankara, but is present widespread across the country.

Where to live?

In the 211 stations in Turkey, only five (2 percent) has the results that allow breathing clean air between 2016 and 2018: Ardahan, Erzurum (Pasinler), Tunceli, Çanakkale (Biga, İçtaş), Artvin. (PT/VK)