Air pollution

Air pollution in Istanbul has decreased by 10 percent amid the pandemic when compared to figures in 2019, according to a study Istanbul Technical University conducted for the first anniversary of COVID-19.

Beijing was cloaked in thick yellow smog on Monday with pollution levels surging off the charts as the worst sandstorm in a decade descended on China's capital.

Romania ranked 15th in the rankings of the most polluted countries in Europe in 2020, and the capital city of Bucharest ranked 51st in the world in this regard, in a hierarchy led by Delhi, India, reveal the latest data centralized in the global platform on air quality IQAir, informs Greenpeace Romania, in a release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday.

Air quality dramatically improved in Turkey last year as people sheltered in their homes to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, says a report.

Since September last year, the Ordinance on annual technical inspections of road vehicles has an addendum, which must enter into force from July 2021.

The rate of air pollution in Istanbul decreased by 10 percent last year compared to 2019, a Turkish academic said.

With many people spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this has brought an improvement in air quality.

After running into an institutional 'brick wall', they have resorted to organising creative flash mobs such as a 'masked ball', donning protective masks even before the advent of COVID-19.

Until December 20, citizens can submit proposals to Sofia Municipality for more efficient measures to ensure the cleaner air in the capital with a public consultation on a project "Comprehensive program for improving ambient air quality on the territory of Sofia Municipality for the period 2021-2026"

A study has concluded that a lockdown significantly reduces air pollution from vehicles in a large city like Athens, but the benefits are temporary, as levels quickly revert to normal as soon as the measures are lifted.

Greek authorities have not done enough to curb air pollution in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, where airborne particulates consistently exceed acceptable limits, the European Commission said on Thursday, announcing that it is referring the country to the European Court of Justice for environmental violations.