Nis air quality map

How much information about air quality is found on the air pollution map for Nis?

The air pollution map for Nis is extremely easy to access from the main city page. The map icon is at the top of that page and by clicking anywhere on the map, a new page will open which is dedicated to give all the information about air quality.

One of the first things to notice will be the overall colour of the map’s background. This colour is reflective of the current air quality. At the start of the fourth quarter of 2022, the map was green which would indicate “Good” air quality. A full explanation of all the colours used can be seen in the legend at the foot of the page. There are also some coloured circles scattered across the page which represent the positions of the ground-level air monitoring stations. If they seem to be on top of each other, they will begin to separate as the map is gradually expanded.

These discs also display a number at their centre. This is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. It is calculated by measuring six of the most commonly found pollutants in the city air which are Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Once calculated, it is used as a metric when comparing the air quality in other cities. It is both encouraged and endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Referring back to the main city page, it can be seen that in October 2022, Nis was enjoying a period of “Good” air quality with a US AQI reading of 39. The main pollutant measured was PM2.5 with a recorded level of 9.4 µg/m³. This figure is almost twice the suggested figure of 5 µg/m³ which is the recommended target figure from the WHO.

Immediately below the air pollution map for Nis can be seen the number of stations that provide all the data regarding air quality. There are currently six contributors which supply and operate seven stations. A breakdown of who the contributors are is stated on the page.

Is there any other useful information on the air pollution map for Nis?

There is a wealth of information about air quality on the air pollution map for Nis, but for it all to be accessible, the screen needs to be viewed at maximum size. Only then will a drop-down table be visible on the left-hand side. The full-screen choice can be seen in the top right-hand area of the screen. This table reveals four interesting options which can all be explored individually as they can be turned on or off, as required.

The first choice shows the location of all the ground-level air monitoring stations. Some may appear to overlap each other, but once the page is slowly expanded the discs will start to separate. If any area of the city is of special interest, then clicking on that disc will open a new page which is dedicated to that specific area of the city.

The next choice shows the position of any fires that may be burning in the vicinity. At the start of the fourth quarter of 2022, there were no reported fires in the area. The fourth option is useful when looked at in conjunction with this as option four shows the wind speed and direction so will give an indication as to where the smoke could blow.

The third option is very theatrical as it can change the overall colour of the map to reflect the air quality in real time. Some may find the colour to be too intense but by deactivating it, the map will revert to a more acceptable colour palette.

There is more information to be gained by looking across to the far right-hand side of the screen where a table is published which ranks world cities according to their levels of air pollution. This box shows the top seven by default but can be examined in more detail where more cities will be shown in descending order.

Immediately below the air pollution map can be seen a table which ranks the stations according to their levels of air pollution. Currently, the poorest air quality can be found around the Park Cair station which returned a US AQI reading of 63 which is classified as being “Moderate”.

The next table lists the various stations according to their popularity and shows the number of followers they each have. Currently, the most popular is the Nis - Osnovna skola Sveti Savac station with almost 61,000 followers which is 36,000 more than its nearest contender.

Can the source of the polluted air be seen on the air pollution map for Nis?

The source of the polluted air is not directly visible on the air pollution map for Nis; however, measurements by the Environmental Protection Agency show that Nis is one of the two cities with the most polluted air in Serbia during winter. Concentrations of suspended PM10 particles in the air exceeded 200 micrograms per cubic meter on certain days, which is four times higher than the permitted value.

Everyone agrees that air pollution originates from exhausts and chimneys, but there is no announcement of any concrete measures to reduce pollution for now.

The air in Nis, experts say, will be cleaner if, first of all, serious work is done on heating and gasification, but it will be difficult if the price of gas and heat energy charged by the Nis city heating plant is not reduced.

There are a large number of institutions in the city that still use fuel oil and coal for heating. They are very big polluters and another major contributor is traffic.

PM2.5 is always seen on the air pollution map for Nis, but how dangerous is it?

Because they are very small and light, fine particles tend to stay in the air longer than heavier particles. This increases the chances of the human body or animal breathing these particles into the lungs. Thanks to their small size, particles less than 2.5 micrometres are able to pass through the nose and throat, and can penetrate deep into the lungs and can even enter the bloodstream.

Research suggests that long-term exposure to PM2.5 can lead to plaque build-up in the arteries, causing vascular inflammation and a decrease in the elasticity of the arteries, potentially leading to a heart attack or stroke. The scientists who conducted the research estimated that for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in fine particles in the air, there is up to an 8 per cent increase in mortality caused by cardiopulmonary disease or lung cancer.