Air quality in Konin

What is the current level of air pollution in Konin?

Konin is a city in central Poland, on the banks of the Warta River. It is the capital of the County of the same name and is located within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. A census conducted in 2018 estimated the population to be approximately 75,000 people. This figure would place it as the third largest city in Greater Poland.

At the beginning of 2022, Konin was going through a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 84. 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 the 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 such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, which are PM2.5 and PM10. If all six figures are not always available in which case, a level is calculated by using what data there is. There were just two main pollutants measured in Konin and these were PM2.5 - 28 µg/m³ and PM10 - 35.8 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is just over two and a half times 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 classified as being “Moderate” the advice that is offered 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 the quality improves. If this is unavoidable, then a high-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 air quality remain the same throughout the year in Konin?

Air quality can be affected by many things, therefore it can and does change rapidly depending on the local conditions. Looking back at the 2020 figures published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that for the month of July, Konin achieved the WHO target figure for being 10 µg/m³ or less. The recorded figure was 10 µg/m³. The months either side of May and June and August and September saw air quality from the “Good” category with readings between 10.1 and 12.0 µg/m³. The remaining seven 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 December with a reading of 23.9 µg/m³.

There were no records kept regarding air quality before 2020 when that figure was noted to be 14.2 µg/m³. However, it may not be a true reflection of reality because it would have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as many vehicles were no longer in daily use because the offices were closed and the staff encouraged to work from home, 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.

Where does the air pollution come from in Konin?

Air pollution is a problem all year round. Old solid fuel stoves continue to be the biggest problem in the fight for fresh air. Another reason for air pollution all year round is the growing number of cars on the roads and their too frequent use.

Can anything be done to improve air quality in Konin?

The air in Konin is not of the best quality. City guards control what the residents use in their furnaces. They have already issued two tickets. They have no specialized equipment so that, for example, drones are used to check the emissions from household chimneys. We control what the residents have in the boiler rooms. In most cases the wrong coal is burned or either wet or varnished wood.

The local authorities are offering subsidies to households so that they can afford to update their solid-fuel boiler to one that is less pollutive. The subsidy amounts to 70 per cent of the costs related to the purchase and installation of a new heating source.

The basic condition for existing buildings is - replacement of the old solid fuel furnace / boiler with a new heat source or for newly built buildings - purchase and installation of a new heat source that meets the program requirements, i.e .: solid fuel boilers, oil boilers, gas condensation boilers, heat, electric heating systems and heat pumps.

What are some of the detrimental effects of breathing polluted air in Konin?

PM2.5 is a dust with particles not larger than 2.5 microns. According to research from the World Health Organisation (WHO), its harmfulness results, amongst other things, from the fact that its particles are so small that they can penetrate the alveoli at the base of the bronchial tubes into the bloodstream. Continuous breathing of contaminated PM2.5 particles has been shown to reduce life expectancy. Even short-term exposure can be harmful, increasing the following: cough, the worsening of asthma, feeling of shortness of breath following direct contact with contaminated air. Breathing air contaminated with PM2.5 dust also increases the risk of heart attacks and arrhythmias.

PM10 is a dust composed of particles with a diameter less than or equal to 10 microns. Its occurrence is mainly related to the combustion process of solid and liquid fossil fuels. Dust may contain substances that are toxic and harmful to humans. Smoke, soot, asbestos, metal particles (arsenic, nickel, cadmium, lead), dioxins, furans and benz (r) pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - all of these have a negative impact on our health.