Air quality in Opava

What is the level of air pollution in Opava today?

Opava is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. According to a census conducted in 2020, it had an estimated population of approximately 56,000 people. It is located in the banks of the Opava River towards the north west of Ostrava.

Towards the end of 2021, Opava was going through a period of air quality classified as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with a US AQI reading of 119. 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. In Opava there were two pollutants which were measured, these were; PM2.5 - 43 µg/m³ and PM10 - 44 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is just in excess of being four times over 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 air pollution is from this “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” bracket the given advice would be to remain indoors as much as possible, closing doors and windows to prevent more dirty air from entering the rooms. Operating an air purifier would be extremely beneficial if one is available, but ensure it is set to recirculate the existing air and not import more dirty air from outside. Those who are more sensitive to poor quality air should avoid venturing outside until it improves. If this is unavoidable, then a good quality face mask should be worn at all times. All types of outdoor exercise should be avoided until the air quality improves. There is a downloadable app from AirVisual.com which is suitable for all operating systems which gives the latest information regarding air quality in real-time.

Does the level of air pollution vary throughout the year in Opava?

Air quality can be very volatile as it can be affected by many variables. Over the course of 2020, Opava experienced many levels of air pollution as can be seen by studying the figures released by IQAir.com. During February and July, Opava achieved the WHO target figure of being 10 µg/m³ or less. The reading for February was 8.7 µg/m³ and 9.8 µg/m³ for July. The months of May, June and October saw figures from the “Good” classification with readings between 10.1 and 12 µg/m³. The remaining seven months of the year saw air quality from the “Moderate” category with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³.

Records regarding air quality were first kept in 2017 when a figure of 22.7 µg/m³ was noted. There was a noticeable decline in air quality in 2018 when the figure recorded was 24.5 µg/m³. Fortunately, this improved in 2019 when that figure was 16.9 µg/m³. Another improvement followed in 2020 when the figure was seen to be 14.9 µg/m³. This low figure was to be expected because it 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 on a temporary basis. Worldwide, cities reported a much better quality of air due to the general lack of traffic pollution in city centres due to the pandemic.

Is there a main source of air pollution in Opava?

Mainly in autumn and winter in industrial agglomerations or in densely populated areas, the so-called winter smog is formed by the action of classic pollutants. It is further intensified by temperature inversions and no wind. The level of PM10 air pollution is significantly higher in anticyclonic situations, especially in the cold half of the year.

According to a recent study, the most significant sources of pollution are local heating plants in the city, which produce more than 45 per cent of the total amount of emissions. Other significant sources of pollution are medium and particularly large sources of pollution (more than 22 per cent and more than 20 per cent, respectively, of the total amount of emissions produced in the city).

Exceeding the long-term PM10 limit values is significantly affected by the smoke of local heating plants. In built-up areas, emissions from local heating plants make up approximately 40-50 per cent. Emissions from remote sources of air pollution, which account for about 40 per cent of total emissions in most parts of the city, contribute to the worsened air pollution situation.

Can anything be done to improve air quality in Opava?

Air pollution is the most common cause of premature death due to environmental factors in Europe, but it also has significant economic impacts. It increases healthcare costs and reduces economic productivity due to poor health of workers. Air pollution also has a negative impact on soil, crops, forests, lakes and rivers. Pollutants even damage our homes, bridges and other infrastructure.

The only thing that can be done to improve the situation is to minimize the number of pollutants released into the air. It is said that large Opava companies are not responsible for the worsened climatic conditions, because they allegedly do not release any harmful pollutants or fly ash into the atmosphere.

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

Babies born to mothers living in polluted areas have lower IQs. This was shown by a study by scientists from the University of California. The research looked at the effect of toxic microparticles in the air on the unborn foetus. It has been shown that pollutants present in the air adversely affect the development of the child's brain in the prenatal stage.

Particles contained in a polluted environment are able to penetrate the placenta and cause direct damage to the child's brain, or affect the proper functioning of the placenta.