Air quality in Tekirdag

Is Tekirdag a city with polluted air?

Tekirdag is a coastal city located in Turkey, belonging to a region that was in past times known as East Thrace, part of the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is home to over 204 thousand inhabitants, and has some prominence as a tourist destination, both for local and international visitors. As well as this, a large amount of land in Tekirdag is dedicated for farming, in particular growing crops such as wheat, sunflowers and grapes for use in wine making. Whilst many cities in Turkey see some fairly serious levels of pollution, Tekirdag is on the lower end of this spectrum, but not completely exempt from the pollutive issue as seen in other major cities such as Lalapasa or Duzce.

In 2019, Tekirdag came in with a PM2.5 reading of 18.5 μg/m³ as its yearly average. This placed the city in the ‘moderate’ ratings bracket for that year, which requires a PM2.5 reading between 12.1 to 35.4 μg/m³ to be classified as such. Whilst this is not a disastrous reading of pollution by any means, it is still high enough to be problematic for some portions of the population, and could certainly stand to improve its air quality, especially as a small coastal town, which typically have much more appreciable levels of air quality due to stronger winds blowing away pollution accumulations.

Why does Tekirdag have polluted air?

Tekirdag has the same sources of pollution that much of Turkey is subject to, with this issue becoming far more prominent in recent times and gaining traction as a problem that needs some major attention in order to stop it from getting even worse as the population increases and urban infrastructure continues to grow.

The main causes of air pollution in Tekirdag are ones such as vehicular emissions, with the many cars and motorbikes found within the city all putting out large amounts of chemical pollutants as well as hazardous fine particulate matter. As is also seen countrywide, many of these vehicles are significantly aged and have poor quality motors, which can leak a large amount of noxious oil vapors, as well as putting out far more pollution than a newer or cleaner counterpart would.

Other sources include the use of Turkish coal for heating and cooking within households and other similar domestic or business based uses. This low quality fuel can release a wide variety of pollutants when burnt, similar to cars or larger vehicles that run on diesel fuels. These two factors, along with ones such as factory and power plant emissions, are some of the driving forces behind higher levels of pollution in Tekirdag.

When is the air quality at its worst in Tekirdag?

Observing the data collected over the months of 2019, it can be seen that there is a period of time when the pollution levels, or PM2.5 count rises to higher numbers, thus indicating that the quality of air is significantly worse and presents far more of a health risk to those who are exposed. PM2.5 refers to particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, going down to sizes as small as 0.001 microns and beyond. Due to these incredibly small particle sizes, it presents major health risks when inhaled, and as such is one of the major components used in the calculation of the overall air quality level, as well as a standalone measurement of air pollution levels in its own right.

The month of October through to November is when the difference in readings became more noticeable. October came in with a PM2.5 reading of 17.8 μg/m³, which then climbed up to 23.5 μg/m³ in the following month, and then slightly further to 23.8 μg/m³ in December. These elevations in pollution continued on into the early months of the following year, with January through to March coming in with equally high readings of 22.1 μg/m³, 24.2 μg/m³ and 24.5 μg/m³ respectively. This showed that the period between November through to March of the following year was when pollution was at its worst in Tekirdag (correlating with the winter months and hence a greater expenditure of energy for heating as well as the burning of wood and other polluting materials within people’s households).

What are some health risks associated with pollution in Tekirdag?

Some health conditions that may arise with people who are exposed to excessive amounts of pollution in Tekirdag would be ones such as instances of dry coughs, chest infections, as well as irritation to the skin and mucous membranes, with the eyes, nose, mouth and ears all being susceptible to irritation or aggravation, particularly in individuals with a sensitivity towards chemicals. Further respiratory conditions may develop, with ones such as bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema and aggravated forms of asthma attacks all occurring, conditions which fall under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) bracket.

As well as this, rapid aging or scarring of the lung tissue may occur in those who breathe in too much pollution over an extended period of time, which can not only lead to a reduction in full lung function, but also an increased predisposition towards developing the aforementioned respiratory conditions, as well as worsening of preexisting conditions or general poor health.

Who is most at risk to polluted air in Tekirdag?

Whilst all people are susceptible to the ill health effects that can result from breathing in excessive amounts of pollution, there are certain demographics of the population that are even more at risk, who may suffer adverse effects from even minor exposure. These include groups such as young children, who can develop all manner of allergies during their formative years, which if not properly treated can lead to lifelong issues, as well as alterations to both mental and physical health occurring.

Other vulnerable groups include the elderly, as well as those with preexisting health conditions, weakened immune systems or with the aforementioned hypersensitivity towards chemicals. One of the most vulnerable demographics would be that of pregnant mothers, whose unborn children can be gravely effected when exposed to pollution whilst in the womb. This can result in cases of miscarriage occurring, as well as babies being born prematurely, or with a low birth weight. These can all lead to a raised infant mortality rate, and as such pregnant women should strive to stay clear from pollution whenever possible.