Environmental health

Peter Daszak’s EcoHealth Alliance got a grant to study viruses

Air in Istanbul became more polluted this year after most of the measures that kept people at home and restricted the use of cars were scrapped.

Teams of the Ministry of Interior and the Regional Health Inspectorate in Sofia have started inspections of restaurants and their visitors for a green certificate.

The action started after midnight, when the order of the Minister of Health came into force.

The inspections will continue in the coming days.

The situation with the cleanliness of the air in the capital is improving, said Alexander Simidchiev, chairman of the "Air for Health" Association.

However, the World Health Organization has lower levels of air pollution, and here we follow the European pollution levels, he explained. Yesterday was the World Lung Day - the organ that is directly related to the purity of the air.

At the end of the inspection the Supreme Administrative Prosecution Office (VAP) will provide information on the violations found, reported NOVA TV.

The United Nations says curbing climate change will have huge benefits for people's health worldwide, reports AP. 

The World Health Organization said Wednesday that meeting the 2015 Paris accord's goals would significantly cut global air pollution, saving a million lives each year by 2050.

Bulgaria joined the first global multi-agency operation codenamed 30 Days at Sea. The purpose of the operation is to ascertain violations and crimes resulting to pollution of sea environment, reported the Bulgarian National Television. 

A total of 276 law enforcement and environmental agencies from 58 countries took part at the operation between October 1 and 31, led by Europol.

Greece’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food announced on Friday (4 August) that the customs office seized more than 700 kilos of illegal pesticides originating from Turkey.

A major oil spill that occurred off the coast of Dilovası in the Gulf of İzmit on Jan. 12 has been cleaned up "to a great extent," according to Turkey's Environment Ministry.

The Albanian authorities said on Monday that they have not yet been able to identify the ship that spilled the oil and polluted the popular beach in Durres.