Pljevlja is suffocating in one of the worst waves of air pollution in history, after being exposed to alarmingly high concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the air in recent days, many times above the permitted values, which is why the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant (TPP) has once again been identified as the main culprit.
The extent of the pollution that can seriously endanger human health is best evidenced by the fact that in Pljevlja yesterday, in one hour, the SO2 concentration recorded was many times higher than in all other Montenegrin cities...
SO2 is a gas that is among the most dangerous air pollutants, and the highest values were measured at midnight on December 13 - 805 micrograms per cubic meter of air, which is an infamous record since measurements were taken in Pljevlja. The permitted daily limit concentration of S02 in Montenegro is 125 micrograms per cubic meter, and the hourly limit is 350. The S02 concentration significantly exceeds the warning threshold of 500 micrograms per cubic meter, which, according to current regulations, requires urgent state response and immediate public notification.
There was no emergency response yesterday, however. The Environmental Protection Agency issued a statement due to the alarming situation, and the municipal emergency team also met, from which local authorities and health workers warned that the city is facing the most serious environmental crisis since air quality measurements began.
Experts warn that such high concentrations of S02 pose a serious risk to the health of the population, because this gas irritates the respiratory tract, mucous membranes and eyes, and in higher concentrations can lead to the worsening of chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In conditions of increased humidity, it contributes to the formation of sulfuric acid and the occurrence of acid rain...
Close the windows, avoid going outside
Whether the authorities did enough and took appropriate measures in a timely manner in accordance with current plans and obligations is the question that was being asked yesterday as Pljevlja was suffocating.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a statement yesterday around noon, 12 hours after the city recorded a record high. They warned that this was an episode of air pollution that could have serious consequences for the health of the population, especially children, the elderly, pregnant women and chronically ill people, especially those with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
They also stated that the conditions have been met to urgently implement the measures envisaged in the Short-Term Action Plan for the Municipality of Pljevlja in the event of exceeding or risk of exceeding the warning threshold for sulfur(IV) oxide.
DON'T MISS IT
In accordance with the Short-Term Action Plan for the Municipality of Pljevlja, the Agency issued a series of recommendations and warnings.
"Sensitive categories of the population are advised to immediately avoid being outdoors, while other citizens are recommended to reduce time and physical activity outdoors. It is also recommended to keep windows and doors closed, wherever possible. Citizens are urged to reduce the use of individual fireplaces, especially those burning solid fuels, as well as other activities that may further contribute to pollution. Economic entities with potential sulfur dioxide emissions are required to implement emission reduction measures provided for in the Short-Term Action Plan," the Agency said in a statement.
The Agency said that the urgent implementation of all planned measures is necessary in order to reduce the risk to the health of citizens and mitigate the consequences of air pollution.
Vranes: Thermal power plant operates without desulfurization devices
After a meeting of the municipal emergency team, the Mayor of the Municipality Dario Vranes He said he was contacted by the director of the Environmental Protection Agency. Milan Gazdić and that he confirmed to him that the main cause of the current pollution is the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant, which recently started operating after ecological reconstruction.
Vraneš also revealed that after the ecological reconstruction, the Pljevlja thermal power plant is operating without a desulfurization plant, which is one of the key reasons why the project was implemented.
"The desulfurization system has not yet been put into operation. This means that the thermal power plant started operating without desulfurization, and that is the main cause of this pollution," said Vranes.
He called on the Electric Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG) to "urgently stop the experiments on the citizens of Pljevlja", emphasizing that the situation in the city is unbearable.
Vraneš added that, if it is determined that individual furnaces also contribute significantly to pollution, the Municipality will ask the Government and relevant ministries to completely exempt the citizens of Pljevlja from paying for electricity during the heating season.
He formally submitted this request to the relevant ministry and EPCG leaders yesterday, asking that citizens' electricity bills be reduced by at least 50 percent during the winter.
"The people of Pljevlja must show resistance to the state's discriminatory attitude towards this city that has lasted for decades. Here, the lives and health of citizens come first and we will not back down from anyone's demands that are not in the interests of Pljevlja. We will insist on respecting the law because the health of citizens and the interests of Pljevlja are above all else," Vraneš emphasized.
EPCG, he said, verbally stated that the Thermal Power Plant was not the cause of the pollution, but that the Municipality requested that the expert services officially state this.
They also propose a temporary suspension of classes.
Epidemiologist at the Pljevlja Health Center Biljana Čarkilović She warned that such high levels of pollution are conducive to the spread of viral infections, as spaces cannot be ventilated, and that the number of people suffering from influenza and other infectious diseases is increasing in Pljevlja. She suggested considering temporarily suspending classes during the extreme pollution, as well as donating air purifiers to schools and kindergartens.
Vraneš assessed that it is indicative that the air quality monitoring station in Pljevlja is currently being serviced, and that at this moment not all relevant data on PM10 and PM 2,5 particle pollution is available.
High hourly concentrations of sulfur dioxide were measured throughout the day yesterday. At 9 a.m., the S02 concentration was measured at 595 micrograms per cubic meter of air, and at 10 a.m., it was 533,9. High concentrations of S02 were also measured the night before last, when they ranged from 373,8 to 760 micrograms per cubic meter. Yesterday at 15 p.m. in Pljevlja, the SO2 concentration, according to data from the measuring station located in the Gagović estate, was 560,7 micrograms per cubic meter. At 17 p.m. yesterday, the concentration dropped to 237 micrograms per cubic meter.
Drastic differences when it comes to pollution in Pljevlja and other Montenegrin cities reopen the issue of pollution sources and the effectiveness of existing air protection measures, but also the responsibility of competent institutions to react in a timely manner to protect the health of citizens in an environment that has been considered the most environmentally endangered in the country for decades.
Concentration 935 times higher than in Podgorica
According to available data, yesterday at 15 p.m. the concentration of sulfur dioxide in Pljevlja was 560,7 micrograms per cubic meter of air. At the same time, only 0,6 micrograms per cubic meter were measured in Podgorica, and 9,7 micrograms per cubic meter in Nikšić. The difference is even more pronounced compared to coastal cities. In Kotor at 15 p.m. the concentration of the harmful gas was only 0,5 micrograms per cubic meter.
The data show that at 15 p.m., the S02 concentration in Pljevlja was almost 935 times higher than in Podgorica, about 58 times higher than in Nikšić, and 1.112 times higher than in Kotor, which clearly indicates drastic regional differences in air quality.
Not even an hour later, the situation had changed significantly. In Pljevlja, S02 values were 413,6 micrograms per cubic meter, and in Podgorica and Kotor they were less than two micrograms, while in Nikšić 9,6 micrograms were measured. In Bijelo Polje and some other Montenegrin cities, sulfur dioxide is not measured at all, while at the Gradina measuring station, near Pljevlja, a concentration of 11,5 micrograms per cubic meter was measured, which further indicates that the greatest pollution load is concentrated in the city center of Pljevlja itself.
Gas chamber effect
The NGO sector called on those responsible to urgently shut down the Pljevlja TPP during the temperature inversion.
Vaso Knežević from the NGO "To Bring the Village to Life" says that Pljevlja has recently reached infamous records in SO2 concentrations, which, according to him, is a direct consequence of the pronounced temperature inversion that occurs in the winter period.
During such meteorological conditions, cold air masses descend into valleys, while warmer ones rise into the higher layers of the atmosphere, creating a closed system in which pollution cannot disperse.
"In such circumstances, Pljevlja functions like a pressure cooker - all air pollution remains trapped in the basin and accumulates further," warned Knežević.
Of particular concern, he points out, is the fact that the temperature inversion boundary is currently reaching an unusually high level, to the point that even the chimney of the Thermal Power Plant is "drowned in fog."
This, according to him, means that pollutants are not emitted above the inversion layer, but remain above the city itself.
"In such conditions, a gas chamber effect is created, where all released pollution remains under a layer of fog and directly endangers the health of citizens."
They fear there could be fatalities.
Pediatrician Maja Terzic presented particularly worrying data about the situation in health institutions, and member of the emergency team Dana Krezović stated that she fears that there may be deaths due to enormous pollution.
"The youngest children are getting sick, from two to three months old. Babies as young as 15 days old need hospitalization, and some have been referred to Podgorica. We believe that the combination of extreme pollution and the presence of the virus has further complicated the clinical picture. The ward is overcrowded, about 50 percent of the children are on oxygen, and it is a day and night struggle," said Terzić, urging that all available measures be urgently taken to stop the pollution.
Krezović requested that the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant suspend operations while the severe pollution continues, assessing that the situation is alarming and that the meteorological situation will be similar in the coming days.
"Given that we have seen that the TPP is the biggest culprit and that the TPP chimney is in fog, that is, that there is a deep inversion layer, I would appeal to EPCG to stop the TPP from operating while this situation is in Pljevlja. There is a possibility, it happened a long time ago in London, that there were deaths when concentrations started to rise, so I am afraid...".
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