The people of Podgorica have been breathing hard for several days. The Environmental Protection Agency admits that the air is polluted. The general impression is that we have an increased concentration of PM particles in the air, which are present due to fires. However, we will know the exact data on how much the concentrations of harmful PM particles are higher than allowed for the previous days only on Thursday. Let's hear what citizens and doctors say about polluted air. Marko Mišić spoke with them
The non-governmental sector warns that we do not know the amount of pollutants in the air.
"What every layman can notice is that the visibility is very reduced, especially during Saturday and Sunday, and today the situation is not any better. What is worrying is that the competent institution that is responsible for informing citizens about whether the quality air at a satisfactory level, it did not react adequately, we do not have information for today, but also for previous days", said Nataša Kovačević from the NGO Green home
The Environmental Protection Agency says that there is no cause for alarm, adding that the air is polluted due to the large number of fires. Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide are within the permissible limits, while PM particles are not yet known.
"As for the concentration of pm 10 particles and pm 2,5 particles, the reference method requires laboratory processing of the samples, so we do not have that data at the moment, but due to the current situation, we have accelerated the analysis process, so that the results of the concentration of pm particles on the territory of the Municipality of Podgorica to have on Thursday, August 31 REZ The visual and general impression indicates that we have an increased concentration of PM particles in the air and they are present due to large emissions originating from fires," said Gordana Đukanović from the Environmental Protection Agency
Doctors remind that polluted air generally has a bad effect on health.
"Long-term exposure to these conditions reduces life expectancy and worsens the disease, if someone is already chronically ill from something, especially heart and lung disease," said Borko Bajić from the Institute of Public Health.
Data on air pollution, although it should, is not available on the Agency's website.
"Unfortunately, on the Agency's website, the last status of the measuring station, the one that is working, is from the 27th at 11 a.m.," Kovačević said.
"The results are available to the Agency and the Center for Ecotoxicological Research, due to minor technical problems they are not currently on the Agency's website, but we hope that this problem will be resolved during the day," said Đukanović.
The Institute for Public Health warns of the harmfulness of so-called pm particles, because they are so small that they pass and enter everywhere.
"The smaller the diameter, the deeper it goes into the body and causes bigger problems, so a diameter of 10 microns and 2,5 are such particles that pass through our lungs, enter the blood vessels, enter the cells, mix and have a negative effect to those processes at the cellular level, which in the long run can lead not only to heart and lung disease, but also to the development of various tumors," said Bajić.
Pollution from cars, with which the Capital City is overcrowded, seems not to be thought about.
"To limit traffic and perhaps see that the standards for car registration are tightened," Bajić said.
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