With such a dismissive approach to the pollution problem, do we have any chance of living to see an improvement in air quality?

Smog levels in Polish cities and villages

As many as 36 localities in Poland appeared on the latest WHO list of the 50 European cities with the most polluted air. This is an even worse result than two years earlier, when 33 Polish cities were included in the ranking. The situation is currently worst in Opoczno, Żywiec, Rybnik, Pszczyna and Kraków. This does not mean, however, that pollution levels in rural areas are lower than in cities. The high concentration of single-family homes heated with coal—often of the lowest quality and sometimes mixed with rubbish—means that smog concentrations can be higher than in housing estates where buildings connected to district heating networks predominate.

The number of days on which PM10 levels may exceed the limit of 50 μg/m3 is 35 per year. Meanwhile, this limit is exhausted in many localities before the end of February. In addition to PM10 particulate matter, PM2.5 particulate matter poses a serious problem. It consists of even smaller particles capable of penetrating the bloodstream, as well as volatile organic compounds and aromatic hydrocarbons, foremost among them the carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene.

Fighting Smog in 2018

In 2018, politicians readily addressed the issue of fighting smog, particularly during the campaign preceding the October local elections. The promises mainly concerned eliminating a significant proportion of coal-fired furnaces through subsidies for building thermal retrofits and funding measures aimed at switching to alternative heating methods. It is worth noting that such support is already available under the “Clean Air” programme. From 19 September, people interested in using the solution offered by the government could submit the relevant applications to the provincial environmental protection and water management funds.

This year, a ban on the sale of so-called “smokers” also came into force. Under the applicable regulation, only manually operated boilers producing no more than 60 mg/m3 of particulate matter may be available on the market; for automatic devices, the acceptable level is up to 40 mg/m3. In addition, in Silesia, the chemical composition of fumes coming from chimneys was examined using a drone, while exhaust emissions from cars were inspected on the streets of many cities.

Looking After the Youngest

Children are among the groups particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of smog. In some cities, local authorities or independent organisations are trying to protect the youngest by equipping kindergartens and nurseries with air purifiers. These devices use a fan to draw in air and filters to trap pollutants. Manufacturers use various purification technologies, but the most popular is a combination of a carbon filter and a HEPA filter, owing to the very high efficiency of this setup.

Although the decision to purchase purifiers for care and education facilities is undoubtedly justified, the same cannot be said about how specific devices are selected. The conditions in kindergartens and nurseries, resulting from the building standards established for them, mean that very high-performance purifiers are needed. Unfortunately, CADR is very often not given priority; instead, the lowest price is.

Clean Air in Our Homes

Air purifiers are also becoming increasingly popular in private houses and apartments. At home, it is not necessary to provide purification performance as high as in public facilities, but the ratio of airflow or CADR to floor area should be no lower than 80 m3/h per 10 m². When selecting a device, it is also worth ensuring that it is equipped with an air-quality sensor enabling automatic operation. Ideally, this should be a PM2.5 particulate-matter monitor, as used, for example, by the Xiaomi air purifier Air Purifier Pro or the Sharp KC-G50EUW. Of course, the filtration system must include both a carbon filter and a HEPA filter.

Not Only Children

In addition to the youngest, older people need special protection from smog because their immune systems are no longer able to defend themselves against the threat as effectively as those of younger people. That is not all: seniors often suffer from existing conditions that constitute an additional risk factor for diseases caused by air pollution. According to specialists from the Silesian Centre for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, high smog levels lead to a 12% increase in the number of heart attacks and a 16% increase in strokes; as is known, the risk of these events increases with age.

Smog is also harmful to pregnant women, as inhaling polluted air may contribute to miscarriage, premature birth or low birth weight. Moreover, infants whose mothers were exposed to smog during pregnancy are more likely to suffer from respiratory diseases.