Rostov-na-Donu air quality map

What exciting facts about air quality can be seen on the air pollution map for Rostov na Donu?

Most of this interesting information can be found on the air pollution map for Rostov na Donu which, in turn, can be accessed from the main city page of the same name.

When the page is first opened, the first thing the user will notice will be the overall colour of the map. This colour is a reflection of the current air quality. Usually, there will be several coloured discs which represent the location of the ground-level air monitoring stations, however, not all cities have such physical stations and Rostov na Donu is one of them. This city relies on data from overhead satellites for its up-to-date information about air quality. The results are very much the same though.

The discs would display a number at their centre which is the United States Air Quality Index reading or US AQI for short. This figure is calculated by taking the measurements of up to six of the most commonly occurring air pollutants found in city air. These are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Once calculated, it is used as a metric when comparing air quality in different locations around the world. The entire system is endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Briefly looking back to the main city page, it can be seen in the coloured banner at the top of the page that in December 2022 Rostov na Donu was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of just 9. To the right of this figure is an asterisk which denotes that the figure is derived from data provided by satellites and not from physical monitoring stations. The main pollutant measured was PM2.5 with a recorded level of 2.1 µg/m³ which sits nicely within the 5 µg/m³ target figure as recommended by the WHO.

Are there any more fascinating facts about air pollution on the air quality map for Rostov na Donu?

There are more interesting facts about air quality in Rostov na Donu but the air pollution map needs to be viewed in full-screen mode in order to see all the available information. This is very straightforward and can be achieved by selecting the icon which is found at the top of the screen.

When viewed in this way a list of four options will be seen on the left-hand side of the screen. These can all be turned on or off individually to get a better idea of what each one does to the map.

The first option would show the location of the ground-level air monitoring stations but there are none because Rostov na Donu relies on data provided by overhead satellites.

The next option would show the position of any wildfires which might be burning in the vicinity, but again, in December 2022 there were no reports of any fires burning out of control in the area. If there were any burning then option four should be consulted because it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and could give a good indication of where the ensuing smoke will blow.

Option three is very dramatic as it can change the colour of the map to reflect the current state of the air. The colours are standard throughout the IQAir website and vary from pale green through to dark maroon where the darker colours show worsening air quality. If the colours are too intense and distracting, they can be deactivated whereby the colour of the map will revert to a more acceptable, subtle range of colours.

The rest of the information can be found on the right-hand side of the air pollution map for Rostov na Donu in the form of a table. This shows the ranking of the top seven dirtiest cities across the globe when considering air pollution. If further exploration is required then the page needs to be expanded to see the full ranking. This choice can easily be found at the bottom of the table.

Can the source of the polluted air be seen on the air quality map for Rostov na Donu?

The source of the polluted air cannot be seen directly on the air quality map for Rostov na Donu but it is known that like many other large cities throughout the world, a major source of air pollution comes from the transportation sector. It is estimated that as much as 70 per cent of the air pollution comes from vehicle emissions.

Over the past few years, environmentalists have noted an increase in the level of air pollution with soot, hydrogen fluoride, phenol and formaldehyde. Conversely, pollution levels of sulphur dioxide, nitric oxide, hydrogen sulphide and benzapyrene are decreasing. At the same time, the general index of air pollution (it includes the sum of the five main substances that make the greatest contribution to pollution) is increasing every year.

An increased level of atmospheric air pollution with suspended solids is noted in the centre of the city and near highways. It was noted that the main sources of air pollution are road and rail transport. In second place are enterprises of the fuel and energy and machine-building complexes, as well as agricultural holdings and enterprises in the construction industry.

PM2.5 is always seen on the air pollution map for Rostov na Donu, but how dangerous is it?

In recent years, ecologists and doctors have been actively raising the problem of the content of fine particles in the atmospheric air, referred to as PM2.5. The sources of their appearance can be internal combustion engines, industrial enterprises, forest fires and other anthropogenic and natural factors. There are more of them in the urban environment, and the chemical composition of the fine aerosol is much more toxic than in the wild.

PM2.5 is an air pollutant that consists of solid microparticles and tiny liquid droplets ranging in size from 10 nanometres to 2.5 micrometres. PM2.5 particles are sometimes also referred to as FSP (fine suspended particles), fine particulate matter, fine particles, fine suspended particles, or fine dust.

Unlike large particles, PM2.5, overcoming biological barriers, enters the body and therefore threatens human health. These particles are able to penetrate deep into the lungs and settle there. Some particles, due to their small size, can penetrate further into the circulatory system. According to WHO studies, inhalation of air with PM2.5 particles provokes 3 per cent of deaths from diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and 5 per cent of deaths from lung cancer.