Winter’s Approach Enfolds Balkan Cities in Polluted Air

With winter on the way, the capitals of Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Bulgaria, as well as some other industrial centres in these countries, are again suffering alarming levels of air pollution, charts show.

Air Quality Indexes, AQIs, on Monday registered levels of 172, 165, 164 and 154 in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Sofia and Skopje respectively, placing these capitals among the top ten most polluted major cities in the world.

This is according to the real-time air pollution map of the World Air Quality Project, which marks air quality in these cities as "unhealthy", meaning that "everyone in the affected area may begin experiencing health effects", with sensitive groups susceptible to more serious effects.

The AQI registers the exact amount of fine particulate matter, PM, in the air. For air to be marked as "good", it should not exceed 50 on the scale. The highest threat level on this chart, marked as "hazardous", begins at 300.

Pollution in some other towns in these Balkan countries is as bad or even worse than in the capitals. The AQI in the Bosnian town of Zenica measured 199 on Monday morning while Tuzla measured 159.

In Serbia, high levels of air pollution were recorded also in the cities of Nis and Subotica, with 156 and 154 AQI.

In North Macedonia, the towns of Kumanovo and Tetovo were also hit hard, with 164 and 158 AQI respectively.

The problem with air pollution in these areas is not new, and traditionally the pollution worsens as the winter months go on.

Experts blame a combination of high atmospheric pressure and lack of wind for trapping toxic fumes in urban areas from industry, traffic and heating.