Air quality in Nizhniy Novgorod

hat is the air quality index of Nizhny Novgorod?

Nizhny Novgorod, colloquially shortened to Nizhny, formerly known as Gorky (1932–1990), is the administrative centre of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and the Volga Federal District. It is located at the confluence of the Volga and Oka Rivers in the central part of Russia. In 2018, it had an estimated population of just over 1.2 million people.

At the beginning of 2021, the city was experiencing a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of 46. This is in accordance with recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The recorded concentration of PM2.5 was 11.1 µg/m³. With a level as low as this, doors and windows can be opened to allow the circulation of fresh air and all types of outdoor activity can be enjoyed without fear.

Does the level of air quality differ in Nizhny Novgorod throughout the year?

As with most countries, the level of pollution increases during the colder months when heating is required in houses and offices as the weather gets colder in autumn and winter.

What is the main source of air pollution in Nizhny Novgorod?

The main and most dangerous sources of air pollution are heat and power facilities, engineering, chemical, transport industries, as well as household emissions.

According to the data of the interregional administration of Rosprirodnadzor for the Nizhny Novgorod region and the Republic of Mordovia, there are more than 40 enterprises in Nizhny Novgorod with a total annual volume of emissions of 49 thousand tons.

The assessment criteria were the indicators of pollutant emissions per unit of territory and per capita. The highest value of these indicators among the cities of the Nizhny Novgorod region in 2018 was in Kstovo, where 1,164.2 tons of pollutants were emitted per square kilometre, and its inhabitants accounted for the highest indicators of pollution entering the atmosphere which was 593.1 kg per person.

There appears to be 8 main offending manufacturing plants that make the greatest contribution to air pollution.

According to the 2016 Rosprirodnadzor report, emissions of nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxide in Nizhny Novgorod are 9 thousand tons per year, and carbon monoxide emissions are 8.5 thousand tons. This volume is caused primarily by boiler houses in the energy sector.

The Gorky Automobile Plant which manufactures cars, trucks and military equipment is located in the Avtozavodsky district. GAZ emits xylene and toluene into the atmosphere. This is due to the fact that the company uses dyes in its production.

Hydromash is an enterprise for the development, production and testing of chassis, hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic units for all types of aircraft, which is located on Gagarin Avenue in Nizhny Novgorod. Sulphuric acid is a by-product of Gidromash's production.

The joint-stock company "Transpnevmatika" is located in the Pervomaisky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region and is engaged in the production of railway locomotives and tram cars. Last year, Rosprirodnadzor found industrial emissions to exceed 100 times for ammonia and 6 times for carbon monoxide. The company violated federal laws and was fined 500 thousand roubles.

What can be done to improve the air quality in Nizhny Novgorod?

Experts from Greenpeace Russia assessed the transport situation in dozens of Russian cities and found out what the authorities are doing to improve the state of the atmosphere.

According to official data, emissions from the operation of vehicles in Russia account for about 45 per cent of the total emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Such data are contained in the State Report "On the state and protection of the environment of the Russian Federation in 2016". In large cities, this figure is much higher, for example, in the capital it is as high as 93.6 per cent. At the same time, the number of vehicles in the country has increased by more than one and a half times over the past decade, from 35 million to 57 million units.

As part of the "Transport Strategy" which is currently in force in Russia, the authorities are striving to reduce the impact of transport on the environment. Environmentalists have asked the administrations of 77 cities in an attempt to find out exactly what measures are being taken in this regard. In particular, to find out whether zones with limited ecological class of cars are being created (low emission zones), how public transport is developing, whether cycling infrastructure and the introduction of transport using alternative fuels are supported. At the same time, environmentalists asked residents how satisfied they were with the air quality in their cities.

The main complaints of environmentalists are related to the closeness and lack of initiative of local authorities. For example, the administrations of Nizhny Novgorod and Saransk ignored questions from Greenpeace, while Samara and Volgograd gave answers, from which, according to environmentalists, it follows that officials do not take seriously the need to reduce the number of trips by private transport and support the development of public transport.

What are the effects of breathing Nizhny Novgorod’s poor quality air?

Doctors confirm the negative impact of transport on health. According to their estimates, up to 140 thousand premature deaths occur in Russia due to air pollution (this is about 5 to 7 per cent of the total). According to a spokesperson for the laboratory for predicting the quality of the environment and public health at the Institute for Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences, more than half of these premature deaths are associated with air pollution from vehicles.

The key source of air pollution in the city is road transport. Among the pollutants that pose the greatest danger to human health, we can name the products of incomplete combustion of motor fuel, benzene and benz (o) pyrene. We are investigating the problem of environmental pollution in the area of traffic jams near busy intersections. We are not talking about chronic, accumulating toxicological effects, but about immediate toxicological effects. A person with increased pressure, being on the road as a driver or passenger, inhales air polluted, for example, by nitrogen oxides, will be faced with the fact that his blood-pressure can rise sharply. Then he may need immediate help.