Air quality in Veszprem

What is the current level of air pollution in Veszprém?

Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately 15 kilometres north of Lake Balaton. A census was conducted in 2017 which estimated the population to be approximately 57,000 people.

At the beginning of 2022, Veszprem was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 67. 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. There were three of the major pollutants measured in Veszprem which were; PM2.5 - 19.8 µg/m³, PM10 - 8 µg/m³ and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) - 2.1 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is almost twice 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 “Moderate” bracket the given advice would be to remain indoors as much as possible, closing doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. 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 and gives the latest information regarding air quality in real-time.

Does the level of air pollution change much throughout the year in Veszprém?

Air quality can be affected by many variables, therefore it is easy to see just how quickly it can change in a relatively short space of time. In 2020 the figures published by IQAir.com show that Veszprem achieved the WHO target figure of less than 10 µg/m³ from the beginning of May until the end of September. June was seen to be the cleanest month with a reading of 7.4 µg/m³. February and October provided “Good” quality air with respective figures of 10.8 and 11.0 µg/m³. The remaining five months of the year saw air quality from the “Moderate” category with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. The worst month was January with a reading of 24.1 µg/m³.

Historically, there were no records kept pertaining to air quality before 2020 when the annual average was 12.6 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 Veszprém?

The main sources of human activity are soot particles from the incomplete combustion of solid fuels (wood, coal) and fuels for two-stroke engines and diesel engines. Particulate emissions from diesel vehicles, most of which are soot, are an order of magnitude higher than those from petrol engines. Previously, legislation regulated PM 10 with sulphur dioxide it was measured jointly and the limit value was set for the two together, but then coal combustion was still the main source of particles. Since then, coal combustion (which has been associated with high soot and sulphur dioxide emissions) has been relegated to the background, so in the previous regulatory system (although the number of diesel vehicles increased significantly), this common limit was rarely exceeded by air pollution.

It can also be divided into two groups in terms of the origin of PM. Primary PM is formed as a solid particle (e.g., diesel soot), secondary PM is formed in the air from air pollutants (sulphates, nitrates, etc.). In terms of its state, it contains not only solid particles but also liquid droplets. In terms of composition, it can be organic and inorganic, but due to its specific surface area (especially in the case of soot particles) it can carry an extremely wide range of compounds adsorbed. In addition to scientific accuracy, the comprehensibility of names used in legislation is also extremely important.

What can be done to improve air quality in Veszprém?

Despite the mitigation efforts of the government and authorities, improving air quality remains a major challenge in Hungary. Urban air quality is influenced by a large number of different factors. It depends mainly on the emission rates of air pollutants, which is in turn affected by the location and contributions of the different emission sources. Additional factors, such as meteorology and topography (i.e., mountainous areas and basins), can also contribute to enhancing air pollution phenomena and creating pollution events like summer or winter smog formation.

What are the detrimental effects of breathing polluted air in Veszprém?

Air pollution is responsible for the premature deaths of nearly 4,000 people, according to research organized by the Crossroads Foundation. However, in addition to deaths, thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis have been linked to air pollution. According to a report from the European Commission, people in Hungary lose an average of one year of their lives a year due to air pollution.

Dust particles irritate the conjunctiva of the eye, the mucous membranes of the airways. Flying dust causes various respiratory diseases, such as asthma, lung cancer. The most dangerous is the already mentioned PM 2.5 fraction, which reaches the lung blisters and settles there, thus impairing its gas exchange capacity and causing inflammation. Deterioration of oxygen uptake indirectly affects the cardiovascular system.