Air quality in Sakarya

What is the current level of air pollution in Sakarya?

Sakarya is a province in Turkey, located on the coast of the Black Sea. The capital city of Sakarya is Adapazarı. In 2020, a census estimated the population to be approximately 1 million people.

Towards the middle of 2021, Sakarya was going through a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI number of 49. This United States Air Quality Index number is an internationally used set of metrics supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is used to compare air quality in different cities throughout the world using comparable standards. It is calculated by using the levels of the six most commonly found pollutants. If not all figures are available, the figure is calculated using what information is there.

When the level of air quality was calculated in Sakarya, there were 5 pollutants that were recorded. These were as follows: PM2.5 - 11.8 µg/m³, PM10 - 25.8 µg/m³, ozone (O₃) - 19.4 µg/m³, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) - 24.4 µg/m³ and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) - 44 µg/m³. All these figures are quoted in micrograms/microns per cubic metre. With a level as low as this, doors and windows can be safely opened to allow the fresh clean air to enter the rooms. All types of outdoor activities can be enjoyed without fear. Looking ahead to the forecast, “Moderate” quality air is predicted for Saturday so it will be a good idea to go out today instead of later. The table at the top of this page should help you decide.

Does this level of pollution remain constant in Sakarya?

Air quality can be affected by many variables and therefore, can change fairly quickly.

Looking back at the figures released by the Swiss air monitoring company, IQAir.com for 2020, for 10 months of the year, Sakarya enjoyed “Moderate” air quality with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. These were the months from January until the end of October. Only in the colder, winter months of November and December did the quality become worse when it was classified as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups”. The recorded figures were 41.8 µg/m³ and 41.9 µg/m³, respectively.

Records for air quality were first kept in 2019 when the annual average was 23.5 µg/m³ followed by a slight rise in 2020 to 24.4 µg/m³. However, this may not be an accurate reflection of reality because of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many vehicles were no longer used as the drivers were furloughed and not required to commute to and from work. There were also many factories and other non-essential production units which were temporarily closed in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus.

What are the main sources of this pollution in Sakarya?

Many different factors cause environmental pollution. The main reasons for this are the decrease in green areas and irregular urbanization. At the same time, fossil fuels such as oil and coal are among the main causes of environmental pollution.

It was noted that the determination of air pollutant emissions from transportation, heating, industry and other sectors in Sakarya will reveal their effects on human health and the economy.

In a recent report, it was stated that only 6 of the 81 provinces in Turkey have clean air.

Sakarya ranked 15^th in the air pollution list. The particulate matter rate is exceeded for 250 days throughout the year.

What can be done to improve the air quality in Sakarya?

Electric cars are expected to replace petrol cars in the not-too-distant future. Various activities are organised in many countries, especially in Turkey, to make people more sensitive to the environment. Nature camps for children are also among these activities.

Millions of tree seedlings are planted to minimise air pollution. Fumes from the exhausts of gasoline and diesel vehicles are the main cause of air pollution. To prevent this, tens of thousands of electric vehicles will be on the road within 5 years. Efforts to reduce air pollution are not limited to these. The new filter systems, which started to be used in factories and production facilities, also reduced water and soil pollution by 30 per cent.

In the Sakarya Clean Air Action Plan, the Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality plans the gradual transition to the use of LPG/LNG or electrical systems in municipal public transportation vehicles, working on determining an alternative route to reduce vehicle entry to the city centre in order to reduce the exhaust pollution caused by traffic, encouraging public transportation vehicles.

How does this poor air in Sakarya affect human health?

Air pollution is defined as a change in the composition of the air or the mixing of substances that should not be present in the air, in a way that disrupts human health or environmental balances.

Air pollution primarily affects the lungs and causes heart disease. It also increases the incidence of diseases such as lung cancer, acute respiratory diseases, asthma and stroke. Air pollution is responsible for 41 per cent of global deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 20 per cent of type 2 diabetes, 19 per cent of lung cancer, 16 per cent of heart disease and 11 per cent of stroke deaths.

Air pollution's effects on human health are the way it enters the body, the exposure time, the intensity of the factors and the general health status of the person.

Pollutants have negative effects on health in proportion to their size and their solubility in water. While large particles cannot pass through the nasopharynx, agents below PM2.5 can pass into the lung tissue. If the individual has a respiratory system disorder, the limit value of the factors is therefore lower, or in other words, health problems may occur at an earlier age than a healthy individual.

Major health effects asthma, allergy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancer. Children under the age of 5, chronic patients and the elderly are the most affected by air pollution. Adding factors such as low social status (such as the homeless), not being able to reach a health facility (e.g. disaster situations), smoking/alcohol habits, and nutritional disorders add to more severe health effects.