Air quality in Nevsehir

What is the current level of air pollution in Nevsehir?

Nevsehir, formerly Neapolis and Muşkara, is a city and the capital district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. According to a census conducted in 2012, Nevsehir had an estimated population of 124,000 people living in the district which included the urban population of 92,000 inhabitants.

Towards the middle of 2021, Nevsehir was enjoying a period of “Good” air quality with a US AQI reading of 39. This United States Air Quality Index number is an internationally used set of metrics supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is used to compare the air quality in different cities throughout the world using comparable standards. It is calculated by using the levels of the six most commonly found pollutants. If records are not available for all six, then a figure is calculated using what information is available. In the case of Nevsehir it was just the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 which were recorded. The figures being 9.4 µg/m³ and 32 µg/m³, respectively.

At this level, doors and windows can safely be opened to allow fresh air into the home and all types of outdoor exercise can be pursued without fear or worry.

Is the level of air pollution constant throughout the year in Nevsehir?

Air pollution can be very volatile and, as such, can change very quickly depending on many variables, such as wind speed and direction and the strength of sunlight, as well as during the different seasons of the year.

Looking back at the figures published by the Swiss air monitoring company IQAir.com for 2020 it can be seen that during the months of July and August, Nevsehir achieved the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) target figure of 10 µg/m³r less. The recorded figures were 9.9 µg/m³ and 8.7 µg/m³, respectively. The worst period of air quality was experienced during the month of April when the recorded figure was 141.8 µg/m³, which placed it firmly in the “Unhealthy” category. January was not much better with a figure of 54.3 µg/m³ which was deemed to be “Unhealthy for sensitive groups”. The month of May saw a “Good” classification with a reading of 11 µg/m³, whilst the remaining 7 months of the years returned “Moderate” quality with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³.

There were no records kept with regards to air quality before 2020 when the figure was 22.8 µg/m³. However, this may not be an accurate reflection of the actual situation because of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many vehicles were no longer used as the drivers were furloughed and not required to commute to and from work. There were also many factories and other non-essential production units which were temporarily closed in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus.

What is the main source of air pollution in Nevsehir?

Air pollution, especially in large residential areas and industrial areas, is the most important issue for people today. This pollution is mostly caused by human activities. These sources are often from transportation, industrial processes and from heating. This pollution, which is caused by human-induced activities, varies depending on factors such as the industrial development of the region, its population, and urbanisation. Meteorological factors, location and topographic structure, unplanned urbanisation and lack of green areas and the quality of the fuels used are the factors affecting the pollution from artificial sources.

Stoves and heaters are used in homes, schools and workplaces for heating purposes during the winter months. Wood, coal, fuel-oil and natural gas are used as fuel in stoves and heaters.

When these fuels are burned, carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) emitted from the chimneys pollute the air.

The harmful exhaust gases caused by motor vehicles, which increase in parallel with the increase in population and income level, also emerge as an important air pollution problem that needs to be taken seriously. The harmful substances in the exhaust gases of gasoline and diesel vehicles cause much more damage to the environment, especially in large urban centres where population and traffic are dense. Pollutants originating from vehicles can be carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC) and lead (Pb).

Can anything be done to improve the air quality in Nevsehir?

The CityAir project which is a three-year project is aimed at developing clean air action plans for the protection of air quality in 31 provinces of Turkey on a technical basis, that is, based on numerical data.

Removing incentives for fossil fuels, especially coal, and developing policies and incentive mechanisms to prioritize fossil fuel alternative energy sources. Promoting public transportation and bicycle transportation in cities, creating areas closed to motor vehicle traffic, protecting and increasing forests, making legal changes to reduce pollutant emissions from vehicles and disseminating alternative sources instead of coal for domestic heating, etc. are some of the measures to be introduced to combat pollution.

Industrial facilities should be ensured to comply with the flue gas limit values and the use of natural gas should be expanded and encouraged. In urban transportation, bicycle paths, parking spaces, and rental systems should be established in suitable areas, and the use of bicycles should be expanded by providing public information and traffic free zones for safety.

What detrimental effects on human health does the air in Nevsehir have?

The most vulnerable group to the health effects of sulphur dioxide are children and adults with asthma who are active outdoors. Its primary effect is narrowing of the airways, causing symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. As the sulphur dioxide concentration and breathing rate increase, symptoms of discomfort increase. When exposure is discontinued, lung function returns to normal within one hour. Long-term exposure to sulphur dioxide and fine particles (PM) can cause respiratory diseases, changes in the defence mechanism of the lungs and worsening of existing heart diseases.

Small particles make up the most dangerous group, as they can get into the air sacs inside the lungs. Various gases in the polluted air inhaled also harm human health. Carbon monoxide, one of these substances, reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, causing dysfunction in the walls of blood vessels and sensitive tissues such as the brain and heart. Sulphur dioxide (SO2), one of the most common air pollutants, facilitates the emergence of lung diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema.