Air quality in Batumi

Is Batumi a very polluted city right now?

Batumi is the second largest city in Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. It is located on the Black Sea coast in the southwest of the country. As such, it is an important seaport and includes industries like shipbuilding, food processing and light manufacturing. A census was conducted in 2020 which found the estimated population to be approximately 170,000 people.

During the third quarter of 2021, Batumi was enjoying a period of “Good” air quality with a US AQI reading of 39. This United States Air Quality Index figure is calculated by collating the recorded levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants. These often include both diameters of PM (PM10, PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide. If figures are not available for all six, a level can still be calculated by using what information there is. It can then be used as a metric when comparing one city with another, anywhere in the world. Batumi recorded three of these pollutants, namely PM2.5 - 9.4 µg/m³, PM10 - 9.4 µg/m³ and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) - 0 µg/m³. This level of PM2.5 is below the target figure of 10 µg/m³ as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being an acceptable level of pollution, although no amount of pollution is safe.

With a level of pollution of this size, the suggested advice would be to open all doors and windows to allow an influx of clean, fresh air into the rooms and all types of outdoor activities can be enjoyed without fear.

Does the air quality change much throughout the year in Batumi?

Air quality can be very changeable as it is affected by many variables. Looking back at the figures for 2020 published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that the month with the best air quality was August when the WHO target figure of 10 µg/m³ or less was achieved. The recorded level was 9.7 µg/m³. The preceding month of July provided the next best quality with a “Good” reading of 10.4 µg/m³. The remaining ten months of the year returned “Moderate” air quality with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. The worst month being December with a 27.2 µg/m³ high.

Historically, there were no records kept pertaining to air quality before 2020 when that recorded figure was 17 µg/m³. This figure may be affected because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many vehicles were taken off the road as their drivers were no longer required to drive to the office each day. There were also several small factories and processing units that were closed temporarily so their emissions were no longer part of the local atmosphere.

Where does the polluted air in Batumi come from?

The main pollutants in the air are dust, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide. Air quality in Batumi is measured at the air quality monitoring point of the Georgian National Environment Agency. "In Batumi, we define five elements: dust, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and iron," said a representative of the Environmental Pollution Monitoring Department of the National Environment Agency.

The agency also announced that the concentration of nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide in the air in the city of Batumi has increased, which is related to the active tourist season, as the number of vehicles in Batumi is increasing at this time. The share of air pollution by cars is more than 70 per cent across the country.

As of 2015, worldwide, 200 million vehicles emit 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 40 million tonnes of hydrocarbons and 20 million tonnes of nitrous oxide each year. Exhaust gas contains a mixture of about 200 different substances, whose frequent breathing changes the formula of the blood, causes cancer and respiratory diseases, and is the cause of death of 400,000 people every year. Most of the air pollution in the world comes from car emissions.

The major source of PM emissions into the air are from construction processes, open ground, wood stoves, diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, industry sector and wind-scattered dust. Also, the so-called. Secondary solids are formed as a result of photochemical reactions of various contaminants. Transboundary pollution is an important source of particulate matter for Georgia.

What can be done to improve air quality in Batumi?

In order to protect the atmosphere from pollution by microorganisms and biologically active substances of microbial origin, the maximum permissible norms for the emission of harmful substances into the environment and pollution by microorganisms shall be established, the frequency of which shall be determined by the Law of Georgia on Environmental Protection.

What are the detrimental effects on human health because of air pollution?

Effects of PM particles on health include eye irritation, asthma, bronchitis, lung damage, cancer, heavy metal poisoning and adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.

Sulphur dioxide is characterised by eye irritation, increased tearing, feeling of heaviness in the chest, shortness of breath and damage to the respiratory system. Sources of sulphur dioxide are the processes associated with the use of sulphur-rich fuels, such as the production of heat and electricity, but also some categories of transport. About 60 per cent of sulphur oxides in Europe come from energy production and distribution. Sulphur dioxide can contribute to particulate pollution by generating secondary sulphur particles in the atmosphere.

Exposure to carbon dioxide results in headaches, mental retardation, heart attack, cardiovascular disease, foetal developmental delays and premature death at very high concentrations. Very high concentrations of carbon dioxide in ambient air can hardly be established.

Nitrogen oxides react with ammonia, moisture, and other compounds to form nitric acid, which often takes the form of particles in the atmosphere. Implications for human health include difficulty breathing and respiratory diseases, lung tissue damage and reduced life expectancy. Small particles penetrate the sensitive parts of the lungs and can cause or worsen cardiorespiratory diseases, such as emphysema and bronchitis.

Ozone in high concentrations can irritate the respiratory system, causing coughing, dryness in the throat and chest pain, inflammation of the lungs and possible susceptibility to respiratory infections. Moderate ozone levels can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Children, especially those suffering from asthma, are more at risk from ozone exposure. Exposure to low ozone levels has been shown to cause a significant temporary reduction in the ability of the lungs to function normally, even in healthy adults. High ozone levels can cause discomfort, especially in combination with high temperatures (a phenomenon that occurs during the summer).