Air pollution in Istanbul increases by 14 pct in one year

Air pollution in Istanbul increased by some 14 percent in the first seven months of 2024 compared to the same period of the previous year.

Monday August 19 2024 03:38 pm

Duvar English

Air pollution in Istanbul increased by some 14 percent in the first seven months of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023, state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

Accordingly, the average nitrogen dioxide, which indicates air pollution, was measured as 40.61 micrograms/cubic meter between January 1 and July 31, 2024. This figure was 35.55 in the same period in 2023.

Meteorological Engineering Professor Hüseyin Toros told AA that traffic was the most important factor in air pollution in Istanbul.

“As the number of vehicles increases, the traffic congestion in Istanbul increases, and as vehicles stop and go, they release more emissions and the atmosphere becomes more polluted,” Toros said and urged the citizens to use public transportation more.

“When we compare the temperature data of previous years in June in our country, we see that the temperatures are 3.6 degrees higher (on average). The background of all this lies in air pollution, that is, the activities we, as humans, do,” Toros added.

Toros concluded that the rate of particulate matter decreased, while the amount of sulfur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide increased in Istanbul.