Air quality in Aksaray

What is the current level of air pollution in Aksaray?

Aksaray is a city in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital district of Aksaray Province. According to a 2020 census, the estimated population of Aksaray was approximately 423,000 people.

Towards the end of 2021, Aksaray was experiencing a period of “Moderate” quality air with a US AQI reading of 81. This United States Air Quality Index number is calculated using the levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, which are PM2.5 and PM10. It can then be used as the metric when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. If data is unavailable for all 6 pollutants, a figure can still be calculated by using what figures there are.

Four of these main pollutants were measured in Aksaray which were PM2.5 - 26.6 µg/m³, PM10 - 37.3 µg/m³, ozone (O₃) - 37.3 µg/m³ and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) - 23.3 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is just over two and a half times above the recommended safe level of 10 µg/m³ as suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being an acceptable level. Although no amount of air pollution is considered to be safe.

When the level of air pollution is classified as “Moderate”, the given advice would be to remain indoors as much as possible, closing all doors and windows to prevent more polluted air from entering the rooms. Those of a sensitive nature should limit their time spent outside and should always wear a good quality face mask when doing so. For up-to-date information about air quality, there is an app available from AirVisual.com which is downloadable for all mobile devices. This shows the air quality in real-time.

Does the level of air pollution remain the same throughout the year in Aksaray?

Looking back at the figures for 2020, published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that the best quality air was to be had during the month of August when the figure was 10.3 µg/m³ which placed it in the “Good” category. The worst month of the year for air quality was December when the reading of 39.0 µg/m³ classified it as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups”. The remaining ten months of the year returned readings from the “Moderate” group with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. The best of these months was June with a figure of 12.7 µg/m³. The worst was January with 34.9 µg/m³.

Historically records for air pollution were first kept in 2019 when the recorded figure was 22.6 µg/m³. The following year showed an improvement with a 21.5 µg/m³ reading, however, this reading may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as many vehicles were no longer in daily use because the offices were closed, in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus. Many factories and non-essential production units were also required to close which removed their emissions from the atmosphere, albeit it on a temporary basis.

Is there a main source of air pollution in Aksaray?

There are three main causes of air pollution in Aksaray and a clear solution has not been found yet for the problem caused by heating, transportation and industrial structuring.

One is air pollution caused by warming. We see that uncontrolled burning of wood and coal by the people living in the regions receiving aid, with the increase in natural gas prices in houses with natural gas installations.

Another issue is transportation. Due to the gradual expansion of the roads, the pollution that we call innovation and the temperature difference between the layers of the air, collapses on the city and does not disperse. We experience this intensely in the morning and evening hours. We see that toxic gases, which we call particulate matter and nitrous oxide, are increasing due to traffic, originating from vehicles.

Another issue is the industrial structuring. Although Aksaray does not have a dense industrial facility the same as Bursa or Kocaeli, it does have an industrial structure of its own. These, too, need to be more closely supervised As the winter started to show its effect, air pollution values increased again, as in previous years.

What can be done to improve air quality in Aksaray?

Domestically, the following procedures should be followed:

• Fuel consumption should be reduced,
• Clean energy sources and suitable quality fuels should be used,
• Fuels should be burned in stoves and heaters in accordance with their requirements,
• Buildings and houses should be insulated,
• Heating and stove chimneys must be cleaned at the beginning of each season.

For vehicles and transportation:

• Exhaust gas emission measurement should be done on time,
• Maintenance and repairs of vehicles should be done on time,
• Clean fuel should be used,
• Vehicles should be inspected periodically.
• Passengers and cargo should not be carried over the vehicle capacities,
• Catalytic converter should be installed in gasoline vehicles,
• Public transport should be given importance.

And for industrial premises:

• Use of clean fuel and raw materials,
• Using technologies that will destroy pollution at its source,
• The use of appropriate fuels in the combustion units of the facilities,
• The construction of chimneys of sufficient height and the use of filters in the chimneys,
• Establishment of treatment plants,
• Evaluation of waste, regular and healthy discharge,
• Facilities should be built as far outside the residential areas as possible,
• Staff should be trained on environmental issues.

What are the health impacts of breathing dirty air in Aksaray?

Air pollution continues its effects at an increasing rate and with a changing content with the increase in population, the growth of cities and the development of industry. While air pollutants emitted from a local source have local effects, they cause deterioration of air quality in urban centres with energy consumption, fossil fuel combustion, and an increase in motor vehicles.

While air pollution increases the death rate due to heart and lung diseases, it also increases hospital admissions due to these diseases. Additionally, air pollution adversely affects the lung development of children, especially, and increases the prevalence of chronic airway diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in areas where pollution is intense.