Air quality in Mielec

What is the current level of air pollution in Mielec?

Mielec is the largest city and seat of Mielec County. It is located in south-eastern Poland (Lesser Poland), in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. According to a census conducted in June 2020, Mielec had an estimated population of approximately 60,000 inhabitants.

During the last couple of months of 2021, Mielec was experiencing a period of air quality that was classified as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with a US AQI reading of 139. This reading is often used as a reference point when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. Data is collected with regards to the six most prolific air pollutants commonly found and this figure is calculated from there. If information is not available for all six, then a figure can be deduced using the information that is available. In the case of Mielec, only PM2.5 was recorded which was 51.2 µg/m³.

The level of PM2.5 can be seen to be five times higher than the suggested level of 10 µg/m³. This level has been determined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being an acceptable level of air pollution, although no level is to be considered as being safe.

When air pollution is classified as being “Moderate”, the given advice would be to stay indoors and close all doors and windows so as to prevent the ingress of more polluted air from entering the rooms. The use of an air purifier would be beneficial, if one is available, but set it to recirculate the air without importing more from outside. Those people who are sensitive to poorer air quality should try to avoid venturing outside until the air quality improves. If this is unavoidable, then a good quality mask should be worn at all times. All groups are dissuaded from partaking in vigorous outdoor exercise.

There is a mobile app available from AirVisual.com for most mobile devices which gives information regarding air quality in real-time. This information will assist in your decision as to whether or not to venture out.

Does the level of air pollution in Mielec remain the same throughout the year?

The figures for 2020 which have been published by IQAir.com, reveal the months of June, July and August to return the best quality air with readings from the “Good” category between 10 and 12 µg/m³. The remaining nine months of the year saw figures from the “Moderate” group between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. Out of these, the month that provided the best air was September with 13.4 µg/m³, the worst month was January with 31.9 µg/m³, possibly due to the extensive use of wood to provide domestic heat in the cold winter months.

Records regarding air pollution were first kept in 2017 when a figure of 25.3 µg/m³ was recorded. A similar figure of 25 1 µg/m³ was recorded the following year in 2018. An improvement was seen in 2019 when the figure dropped to 21.1 µg/m³ followed by another drop in 2020 when the measurement was 18.8 µg/m³. This figure may not be a true reflection of reality because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many motorists were no longer required to commute to their offices each day in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus. There were also some factories and similar production units which were told to close on a temporary basis. Many cities throughout the world noted how much cleaner their city air was because of these measures.

Is there a main source of air pollution in Mielec?

According to the inhabitants of the city, there is a producer of wood products in Mielec, who is the main source of dust and gas emissions to the air. The company does not constantly monitor the emission of harmful substances released into the atmosphere. It should be emphasized that the company does not carry out regular checks of the level of pollutant emissions.

The main cause of the bad air condition in our winter season is low emissions. Low emission is nothing more than the emission of dust and harmful gases at heights of up to 40 metres. These pollutants come from domestic heating stoves and local coal-fired boiler houses where low-quality coal is burned in an ineffective way and from combustion gas transport. A characteristic feature of low emissions is that it is caused by numerous sources introducing pollutants into the air. Coal with a lower calorific value, burning at low temperatures in a home hearth, not only does not extract all its energy value, but also a significant part of these incompletely unburned compounds comes out of the house along with the smoke - as a consequence, we burn larger amounts of carbon while releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere. compounds and dust.

What can be done to improve air quality in Mielec?

The installation of LED screens has started on two buildings in the city centre which will show the results of air quality measurements from the network of sensors on an ongoing basis. As pointed out by the City Hall, this will allow residents to monitor the air quality in Mielec on an ongoing basis in a manner accessible to all.

The sensors used in the city are sensors that allow for continuous measurements of the concentration of suspended dust PM2.5 and PM10. They also measure air temperature, atmospheric pressure and air humidity.

The decommissioning of old household stoves is an ongoing process that is primarily held back by costs to the householder.

What are the effects of air pollution on health?

The specific changes in the human body that can be caused by long-term exposure to unhealthy air could include;

• Changes in the respiratory system, such as trouble breathing, wheezing, bronchitis and pneumonia, attacks of coughing and asthma, etc.
• Problems with the absorption of oxygen in the blood, causing diseases of the circulatory system and the central nervous system
• The human immune system can become very weak
• Damage to internal organs such as kidneys, liver, adrenal glands, but also bones
• Problems related to fertility
• Accumulation of impurities in the body can cause neoplastic changes.
• Mental health problems have also been associated with certain types of chemicals found in polluted air.