Zonguldak air quality map

Is there a lot of interesting information about air quality on the air pollution map for Zonguldak?

The air pollution map for Zonguldak acts as a link to a new set of pages filled with all the latest information about air quality in Zonguldak. Clicking anywhere on the map will open up this new set of pages, all ready to explore.

When the first page of a new set of pages opens, the viewer will see a solid block of colour which acts as the background of the map and is a direct representation of the current air quality. At the time of writing in May 2023, the colour was green which shows the air quality as being “Good”. The full explanation of the various colours can be seen in the legend at the bottom of the screen. They are standard colours across the entire IQAir website and range from pale green to dark maroon where the darker colours indicate inferior air quality.

There will be several coloured discs distributed across the map which show the sites of the ground-level air monitoring stations in and around the city. If some are overlapping each other, the map can be slightly enlarged so the discs will start to separate. All of the discs on the map are not under the jurisdiction of the city.

At the centre of each disc is a number which is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. This is calculated by measuring the levels of up to six of the most prolific pollutants found in the city air. They are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Once established it is used as a metric when comparing levels of air pollution in different towns and cities across the globe. The whole scheme is endorsed and encouraged by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Each disc holds a wealth of information about that specific area of the city which is accessible by clicking on the chosen disc. This can be very informative when travelling to surrounding areas.

Glancing back to the main city page, the coloured banner across the top of it shows the air quality at that time was “Good” with a US AQI reading of 39. The green colour of the banner also visually shows this instantly. Five pollutants were measured, but it was PM2.5 which was the main pollutant with a recorded level of 9.4 µg/m³ (microns per cubic metre). This figure is almost twice the suggested target figure of 5 µg/m³ which is recommended by the WHO.

Beneath the air pollution map for Zonguldak can be seen the number of contributors there are that operate the monitoring stations on behalf of the city. Currently, there are two stations operated by the government department which is the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation which have over 190,000 followers and operate 264 stations across the country.

Can any more interesting information be gleaned from the air pollution map for Zonguldak?

There is an icon at the top of the first page which can be used as a link to a full-screen section where all the information is available and easy to view. There are a lot more facts and figures about air quality in this section.

When the page is fully open there will be a list of four options on the left-hand side of the page. These can all be independently turned on or off to see the effects they each have on the map.

The option at the top of the list shows the sites of all the ground-level air monitoring stations there are within the local area but they are not all operated by the city authorities.

The next option on the list shows the locations of any wildfires there are that are burning out of control in the region. At the time of writing in May 2023, there were no such icons on the map. If any fires are detected, then option four needs to be consulted because it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and will give a good indication of where the smoke may blow.

Option number three will change the background colour of the map to reflect the current state of the air. This can be quite distracting when the air quality is poor but it can be turned off so the map will revert to a more subdued set of colours which might be easier to understand.

On the right-hand side of the page is a table which lists the seven most heavily polluted cities ranked in order of cleanliness. There are more statistics available in the full-ranking section where the remainder of the participating world cities are recorded in descending order.

Directly below the air pollution map for Zonguldak can be seen a list of the most polluted areas of the city as seen by their US AQI readings. Currently, the dirtiest area of the city is around the station at Kozlu followed by the station at Zonguldak.

There is also a list which shows the most popular station together with the number of loyal followers it has. Currently, the station at Zonguldak is at the top of the list with just under 200 followers. This is followed by the Kozlu station with 20 followers.

Is the source of the air pollution identifiable on the air quality map for Zonguldak?

Whilst the source of air pollution is not directly shown on the air pollution map for Zonguldak it is known that it has serious health problems due to air pollution caused by coal-fired power plants. Coal mining in Zonguldak, which has been going on for nearly 200 years, has supported various sectors, especially the iron and steel industry. However, coal mining started to have negative effects on public health, the environment, the economy and social structure in the city. Lung diseases and musculoskeletal system problems due to coal dust increased among the workers working in the mines, and mine accidents resulted in disasters. Air pollution created by burning coal, especially by coal-fired power plants, has turned into a chronic problem.

PM2.5 and PM10 are often quoted on the air pollution map for Osan, but what are they?

PM10 and PM2.5 stand for particulate matter (also called particulate pollution). The term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. But some are so small they can only be seen with an electron microscope.