Air quality found hazardous in Kosice

Measurements of air pollution in Košice have revealed high concentrations of so-called background particles - 7,000 particles per cubic centimetre on average, experts from a Europe-wide project called Clean Air have announced. According to NGO CEPTA-Centre for Sustainable Alternatives, whose representatives revealed the outcomes of the aforementioned measurements on Tuesday, the experts carried out their assessment on Friday, May 29. "When we take a breath, we inhale approximately 0.5 litres of air, and we normally inhale about 15 times per minute, which means that in one breath of 'clean' air in Košice we inhale 3.5 million particles, which is 52 million particles per minute", warned the NGO. The worst air quality was recorded on Štefániková Street, where 22,350 particles per cubic centimetre were measured, in an older public transport bus with a diesel engine (33,550 particles/cm3), in a taxi during a ride around the city centre (40,200 particles) and in an underground carpark of a shopping centre (42,900 particles). For comparison, experts consider air containing below 3,000 particles per cubic centimetre to be clean. Such concentrations have been measured, for example, in Zvolen (Banská Bystrica region) and in Bratislava's Koliba area. The High Tatra Mountains enjoy very clean air at 1,500 particles, with the lowest ever recorded value found in the same range at the Lomnický štít peak at an altitude of 2,634 metres - 995 particles per cubic centimetre. "The kind of polluted air in Košice causes severe health problems, including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems, cancer, by which it contributes to an early death", said Danish expert on air pollution Kaare Press-Kristensen. The major pollutants in the area include traffic, industry and the energy sector.