Air quality in Kosjeric

Does Kosjeric have a high level of air pollution?

Kosjeric is a city located in Zlatibor district in the western region of Serbia. Zlatibor district is one of the eight different districts within the country, and is named after the mountainous region of Zlatibor. Kosjeric itself is a city with over twelve thousand inhabitants in the municipal area, and an even smaller number of just under four thousand within the township of Kosjeric, as per a census conducted in 2011, thus most likely being subject to change in the time since it was taken.

Looking at its level of air pollution present, it can be seen that Kosjeric came in with a US AQI reading of 66 in May of 2021. This reading would put it into the ‘moderate’ ratings bracket for the particular day and time in which it was taken, indicating that whilst the air quality would not have been overtly bad or harmful, there would still be a fair amount of polluting haze, smoke and fine particles in the air that have the potential to cause harm, particularly to vulnerable demographics of the population.

Those who are more at risk are people such as young children or babies, who can suffer from lifelong ailments if their exposure to pollution is maintained over prolonged periods of time. Such ailments include ones mainly affecting the respiratory system and lungs, but can also extend to skin conditions, as well as alterations to both physical and mental growth via stunting or damage to the nervous system in rarer cases. This is more prominent for those that may grow up in areas of high pollution such as those who live near to busy roads, highways, factories and industrial zones as well as other similar areas.

Further groups are the elderly, who are particularly susceptible to respiratory infections as well as heart conditions. Pregnant mothers, those with poor immune systems and pre-existing health conditions (with the two often being interchangeable) as well as those with a hypersensitivity towards chemicals or certain aggravating particles are also part of these at-risk groups, and as such should take extra care during time periods of high pollution levels.

The use of preventative measures such as wearing fine particle filtering masks, keeping windows and doors sealed, as well as avoiding outdoor activity and strenuous exercise are all wise measures that can be put into place for the purpose of harm reduction. Keeping up to date on these air quality levels can be followed via the air quality maps available on the IQAir website, such as the one present on this page, as well as by using the AirVisual app.

Why does Kosjeric have such polluted air?

Main causes of air pollution within Kosjeric, and Serbia as a whole, typically stem from various combustion sources present across the city and various towns and nearby rural areas. The use of vehicles is one consistent source of air pollution, being one of the main ambient contributors to both the US AQI level as well as the PM2.5 count, which is used to measure the yearly averages in years past.

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, on occasion going down to sizes that are many microns smaller and thus having great damage potential to those that breathe them. It is one of the main components used in the calculation of the overall US AQI level, as well as being a prominent measure of air pollution in its own right, due to its harmful nature (as well as the wide variety of dangerous materials that ultrafine particles are comprised of).

Further sources include emissions from power plants and factories, all of which can go through large amounts of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and diesel fuel. With a lack of stringent regulations, many of these sites can put out far greater amounts of air pollution than factories on an international level may do, causing the surrounding air to become further saturated by harmful clouds of pollution and other noxious air contaminants. Construction sites, poorly paved roads and the burning of organic matter such as charcoal and firewood in homes, particularly during the colder months, are also factors that assist in the elevated levels of air pollution present in Kosjeric.

Of note is that wind is one of the most important factors in the removal of air pollution, and on occasion, the lack of it can lead to heavy buildups of air pollution that may have been averted were the meteorological conditions more favorable.

At what times of the year is the city of Kosjeric at its most polluted?

Observing the air quality data collected over the course of 2020, it can be seen that there were very clearly defined periods of time in which the PM2.5 count rose considerably higher. Towards the end of the year, a sudden spike was seen, with the months of September through to October showing the most prominent ascent to higher PM2.5 levels. It was during the months of November and December, as well as January through to March when Kosjeric saw its highest levels of pollution, being indicative of a pattern in which the pollution level would rise at the end of the year, typically as winter approaches, and then reach its peak in the early months of the following year.

The levels of PM2.5 on record from January through to March, as well as November and December were 109.3 μg/m³, 48.7 μg/m³, 37.5 μg/m³, 49.6 μg/m³ and 63.9 μg/m³ respectively, making January the most polluted month of the year with its reading of 109.3 μg/m³, followed by December at 63.9 μg/m³.

Does Kosjeric have cleaner air during the year?

After the more extreme highs of air pollution start to abate, Kosjeric enters into a time in which the PM2.5 level showed far more appreciable readings. May through to September all had the best readings, all coming in within the ‘moderate’ pollution ratings bracket (12.1 to 35.4 μg/m³ required).

Out of all of these months, June had the best reading coming in at 9.6 μg/m³, making it the only month of the year to attain the world health organization's (WHO's) target goal of 10 μg/m³ or less, for the best quality of air.

What are some health issues that may arise from air pollution in Kosjeric?

Some health problems that can arise of a result from excessive pollution exposure include ones such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an umbrella term that contains within it a number of respiratory conditions such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Skin conditions such as acne and eczema may present themselves or worsen, along with rates of skin and lung cancer going up.

Dry coughs, chest pain and repeat infections would be commonplace, along with more serious and life threating ailments such as strokes, increased risk of heart attacks or arrythmias as well as ischemic heart disease are all possibilities during times of high air pollution.