Authorities in Montenegro are not taking any concrete measures even though air pollution in Pljevlja has reached alarming levels and directly threatens the health of citizens.
According to the latest publicly available data from the Environmental Protection Agency, at the "Gagovića imanje" measuring station, at nine o'clock this morning, a concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2) of as much as 595 micrograms per cubic meter of air was measured.
At ten o'clock the concentration was 533,9 micrograms per cubic meter. This value exceeds the legally permitted hourly limit of 350 micrograms, but also the warning threshold of 500 micrograms per cubic meter, which, according to current regulations, requires urgent state response and immediate public notification.
However, high concentrations of sulfur dioxide were not recorded just this morning.
Even higher hourly concentrations of this dangerous pollutant were measured last night and during the night before in Pljevlja. Thus, last night at 19 pm, a concentration of 373,8 micrograms per cubic meter was measured, at 20 pm 490,2 micrograms, and only an hour later the concentration suddenly jumped to 760 micrograms per cubic meter. At 22 pm, the sulfur dioxide concentration was 493,7 micrograms, at 23 pm 556,9, while at midnight a record value of as much as 805 micrograms per cubic meter of air was recorded.
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The Environmental Protection Agency's latest warning about high concentrations was issued yesterday and applied to the period from 13 to 16 p.m.
"As it is foggy and windless in Pljevlja, pollutants have been concentrated in the ground layer of the atmosphere, so citizens are advised to follow the recommendations of the Institute of Public Health in these circumstances," the announcement reads.
Despite this alarming data, the citizens of Pljevlja have not received any official warning, nor have any health protection recommendations been issued, although regulations clearly state that in such situations the population and particularly sensitive categories such as children, the elderly, pregnant women and chronically ill patients must be informed.
The legal framework of Montenegro stipulates that hourly concentrations of sulfur dioxide must not exceed 350 micrograms per cubic meter, while the daily limit value is 125 micrograms, with a strictly limited number of permitted exceedances during the year.
The values measured in Pljevlja last night and tonight exceed these limits many times over and pose a serious and immediate risk to the health of the population.
An additional problem is the fact that hourly data on PM10 and PM2,5 levels are not available to the public due to equipment maintenance. However, what is available clearly shows that this is extreme air pollution that requires urgent measures, including public warnings, recommendations to stay indoors, and limiting emissions from the largest pollutants.
The lack of reaction from institutions at a time when legal thresholds have been seriously and repeatedly exceeded further deepens citizens' distrust and leaves the population of Pljevlja left to their own devices, while once again confirming that the problem of chronic air pollution in this city continues to be ignored, despite clear data, applicable regulations and the obligations that the state has towards the health of its citizens.
The President of the Municipality of Pljevlja, Dario Vraneš, has scheduled a meeting of the Municipal Emergency Team for today at 12:00 regarding excessive pollution.
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