Air quality in Trutnov

What is the current level of air pollution in Trutnov city?

Trutnov is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It is mainly found in the Upa River valley although the northern section of the municipality is located in the Giant Mountains. According to a census conducted in 2101, Trutnov had an estimated population of approximately 30,000 people.

At the beginning of 2022, Trutnov was experiencing a period of “Unhealthy” air quality with a US AQI reading of 162. This United States Air Quality Index number is calculated using the levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, which are PM2.5 and PM10. It can then be used as the metric when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. If data is unavailable for all 6 pollutants, a figure can still be calculated by using what figures there are. In Trutnov, both sizes of Particulate Matter were measured, these were PM2.5 - 77 µg/m³ and PM10 - 81 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is almost eight times over the recommended safe level of 10 µg/m³ as suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being an acceptable level. Although no amount of air pollution is considered to be safe.

When air pollution is from this “Unhealthy” bracket the given advice would be to remain indoors as much as possible, closing doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. It is recommended that operating an air purifier would be extremely beneficial but ensure it is set to recirculate the existing air and not import more polluted air from outside. Those who are more sensitive to poor quality air should avoid venturing outside until it improves. If this is unavoidable, then a good quality face mask should be worn at all times. All types of outdoor exercise should be avoided until the air quality improves. There is a downloadable app from AirVisual.com which is suitable for all operating systems and gives the latest information regarding air quality in real-time.

Does the level of air pollution vary throughout the year in Trutnov?

Air quality can be very volatile as it is affected by many variables and is therefore difficult to predict. Looking back at the figures for 2020 as published by IQAir.com, it can readily be seen that for the months of February, May, June and July, the WHO target figure of 10 µg/m³ or less was achieved. The cleanest month for air quality was June with a low reading of 8.6 µg/m³. August, September and October returned readings from the “Good” category. Records for air quality were not kept before 2020 when a figure of 12.9 µg/m³ was recorded. However, this low figure was to be expected because it may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as many vehicles were no longer in daily use because the offices were closed, in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus. Many factories and non-essential production units were also required to close which removed their emissions from the atmosphere, albeit on a temporary basis. Worldwide, cities reported a much better quality of air due to the general lack of traffic pollution in city centres due to the pandemic.

Is there a main source of air pollution in Trutnov?

Both anthropogenic (caused by human activities) and natural sources contribute to air pollution. The most important anthropogenic sources include local heating plants (especially solid fuel combustion), road transport, industry and energy and agriculture.

Local heating plants are currently one of the biggest air pollutants, mainly in terms of emissions of solid pollutants and benzo (a) pyrene. Households account for 78 per cent of PM2.5 emissions and even 98 per cent of benzo (a) pyrene emissions.

Transport is one of the major sources of air pollution. Nitrogen oxides (especially nitrogen dioxide), suspended particles of the PM10 and PM2.5 fractions (dust particles), carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons enter the air through this source. All of the above pollutants have a number of negative effects on human health and vegetation. Current legislation sets air pollution limits for them, which, however, are not met in many places (cities, neighbourhoods of busy roads). Suspended particles enter the air both through exhaust gases from cars and trucks, as well as through abrasions of car brake pads, tyres and road abrasions.

What can be done to improve air quality in Trutnov?

Measures to reduce air pollution caused by transport are an essential part of strategic documents in the field of air protection, being the responsibility of the National Emission Reduction Program of the Czech Republic and the Air Quality Improvement Programs.

The solution is quite simple. The third wave of boiler subsidies will be launched by the Ministry of the Environment in May this year and will allocate a specific amount of money. This time it is most likely the last possibility to use the financial support of the state to replace unsuitable boilers with modern methods of heating. There is a gas condensing boiler, a biomass boiler with automatic or manual fuel supply and a heat pump.

What are the detrimental effects of breathing in polluted air?

According to the State Institute of Public Health of the Czech Republic, the incidence of asthma in children has more than doubled in the last twenty years, which means that every tenth Czech child is now asthma! As also confirmed by a UNICEF study, long-term exposure to smog poses a significant risk to the proper development of children's brains. Children then perform worse than their classmates growing up in unpolluted air.

The pollutants may be of natural or artificial origin and maybe in the form of solid particles, liquid droplets or gases. They harm us in many ways with short-term or long-term consequences. The degree of damage depends on several factors: the overall exposure to the harmful chemicals, its duration and the concentration of the chemicals.

Short-term consequences: eye, nose and throat irritation, upper respiratory tract infections - bronchitis or pneumonia. Other symptoms: headache, nausea, allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can worsen the health conditions of individuals with asthma or emphysema. Long-term health consequences include chronic respiratory problems, lung cancer, heart disease, and even brain, nerve, liver, and kidney damage.