Air quality in Karviná

What is the current level of air pollution in Karviná?

Karviná is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated on the banks of the Olza River and is well-known for the number of coal mines in the surrounding area. According to a census conducted at the start of 2021, Karviná had an estimated population of approximately 51,000 inhabitants.

At the end of 2021, Karviná was experiencing a period of “Unhealthy” air with a US AQI reading of 165. This United States Air Quality Index number is calculated using the levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, which are PM2.5 and PM10. It can then be used as the metric when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. If data is unavailable for all 6 pollutants, a figure can still be calculated by using what figures there are. Only the pollutant PM2.5 was measured in Karviná which was 83.3 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is over eight 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 quality is this poor, the advice is to remain indoors as much as possible, closing all doors and windows to prevent more polluted air from entering. It is advantageous to use an air purifier if one is available but ensure it is set to recirculate the current air and not import more from outside. Those of a sensitive disposition should also avoid venturing outside until the air quality improves. If this is unavoidable, then a good quality face mask should be used at all times. There is an app available from AirVisual.com for most mobile devices which informs the user of the quality of air in real-time which should assist with the decision as to whether go out or not. It is free of charge.

Does the level of air quality remain the same throughout the year in Karviná?

Air quality can be influenced by many variable factors and therefore changes relatively quickly. Looking back at the 2020 figures published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that for the months of February and June, Karviná enjoyed “Good” quality air with respective figures of 11.8 and 12 µg/m³. The remaining ten months of the year saw air quality classified as being “Moderate” with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. the best month out of these was May with a figure of 13 µg/m³, the worst was December with a 29.6 µg/m³ reading.

Historically, records pertaining to air pollution have been kept since 2017 when a figure of 24.6 µg/m³ was recorded. The following year saw a decline in quality to 27.1 µg/m³ but an improvement was seen in 2019 when that figure was 22.1 µg/m³. In 2020 the figure improved once again to 18.3 µg/m³. However, this reading may not be a true reflection of reality because it might have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as many vehicles were no longer in daily use because the offices were closed, 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.

Is there a main source of air pollution in Karviná?

For PM2.5, the cities with the highest mortality were in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. This is because these particles are emitted not only by motor vehicles, but also by other sources of combustion, including industry, domestic heating and the combustion of coal and wood. The biggest problem of this locality is high concentrations of fine dust particles and carcinogenic benzo [a] pyrene bound to them.

According to the regional hygiene station, the main source of pollution in the city is homemakers who heat their homes with solid fuels and do not use gas, there is 60 per cent pollution and due to that, it is probably that Karviná has the worst concentration.

What can be done to improve air quality in Karviná?

In the region, almost 4,000 boilers have been exchanged for a total of 461.6 million crowns from the last call. In total, a billion is distributed, which will satisfy ten thousand requests. People have three more years to exchange. Exchanges will be supported, for which the costs will be reimbursed no later than the end of September 2023.

It is necessary to reduce emissions from all major sources, i.e., industry, local heating and transport, both in this region and in the neighbouring Silesian Voivodeship. Everything should take place within the framework of modern low-emission technologies and the shift away from coal combustion.

In the open fireplace burn only dry and unpolluted plant material (dry leaves or branches). Do not burn garbage. The combustion of plastics, rubber, artificial fabrics, lubricating oils and other synthetic materials produces dense smoke with toxic pollutants, which often have carcinogenic effects.

What are the health impacts of breathing dirty air in Karviná?

The pollutants can be of natural or artificial origin and could be in the form of solid particles, liquid droplets or gases. They harm the body in many ways with short-term or long-term consequences. The degree of damage depends on several factors: the overall exposure to the harmful chemicals, its duration and the concentration and type of the chemicals.

Short-term consequences can include eye, nose and throat irritation, upper respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia. Other symptoms could be headaches, nausea and allergic reactions.

Short-term air pollution can worsen the health of individuals with asthma or emphysema. Long-term health consequences include chronic respiratory problems, lung cancer, heart disease, and even brain, nerve, liver and kidney damage.

Young children and the elderly suffer more from the effects of air pollution. The constant presence of polluted air can negatively affect the lungs of developing children and worsen the health of older people. Someone may be much more sensitive to pollutants. People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease usually suffer more from air pollution.