Air quality in Doboj

What is the current level of air pollution in Doboj?

Doboj is a city located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It can be found in the northern region on the banks of the Bosna River. According to a census conducted n 2013, Doboj had an estimated population of approximately 71,000 inhabitants. It is the operational base for the Railways Corporation of Bosnia.

Towards the end of the third quarter in 2021, Doboj was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 87. This United States Air Quality Index figure is calculated by collating the recorded levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants. These may include, both diameters of PM (PM10, PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide. If figures are not available for all six, a level can still be calculated by using what information there is. It can then be used as a metric when comparing one city with another, anywhere in the world. As far as Doboj was concerned, the only pollutant recorded was PM2.5 with a level of 29.3 µg/m³. This level of PM2.5 can be seen to be almost three times higher than the target figure of 10 µg/m³, as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This figure is considered to be an acceptable level although no amount of air pollution can be considered as being safe.

This level of air pollution is not extremely high but you are still advised to stay indoors if possible and close doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. Those who are more sensitive to dirty air should avoid venturing outside until the air quality improves. There is an app available from AirVisual which can be downloaded to any mobile device which gives you the up-to-date condition of the air in your area.

Does the air quality in Doboj vary much throughout the year?

Air quality can be very volatile as it is affected by many variables. It can change within a few hours so it changes many times over the period of a year.

Looking at the figures for 2020 published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that Doboj experienced two months of “Unhealthy” air during January and February with figures of 94.3 and 58.7 µg/m³. The months of March, November and December returned figures of 44, 52.8 and 55.4 µg/m³, respectively which can be classified as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with figures between 35.5 and 55.4 µg/m³. The remaining months from April until the end of September returned “Moderate” air quality with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³.

Records regarding air quality were not kept in Doboj before 2020 when the recorded figure was 37.6 µg/m³ which places it in the “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” category. This figure may have been affected because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many vehicles were taken off the road as their drivers were no longer required to drive to the office each day. There were also several small factories and processing units that were closed temporarily so their emissions were no longer polluting the local atmosphere.

What is the source of polluted air in Doboj?

There is no doubt that the main sources of air pollution around the world are the same - energy, individual furnaces, traffic, industry, agriculture and waste management. The level of pollution differs from country to country, because in countries that limit the emissions of harmful substances by law and encourage the use of the most modern technologies, the sources of pollution do much less damage than in countries that do not have such regulations or do not implement them.

The main division of pollution sources is into a) natural or biological and b) anthropogenic or those whose cause is human activity.

Anthropogenic sources of air pollutants:

• Combustion of fossil and other heating fuels in individual furnaces and heating plants with a capacity of less than 50 MW
• Combustion of fossil fuels in the production of electricity and heat - thermal power plants, heating plants
• Activities in industry and construction
• Combustion of fossil fuels in vehicles in road traffic
• Agriculture
• Petroleum refining and storage of petroleum products
• Combustion of fossil fuels in machines that are not used in traffic, such as construction machines, boats and lawnmowers.

The biggest problem with individual combustion plants and air pollution is particulate emissions (PM2.5 and PM10). These furnaces are, along with the food industry, the largest emitters of PM2.5 and PM10 particles in both the EU and the region. The cause of these emissions is the combustion of biomass - wood, then inefficient combustion in old types of furnaces and waste incineration. In poor countries, such as those in the region, the poorest households and the most vulnerable citizens burn waste oil, tyres and old paper.

What can be done to improve air quality in Doboj?

The use of coal in power plants pollutes the air so much that most EU countries have either already stopped or are working to abandon coal, and the plan is to ban the use of coal in 20 years at the latest. The share of coal in electricity production in 2019 compared to 2018 decreased from 19% to 14.6%, and the total production of electricity from coal is lower by about 25%.

Good results are a consequence of limiting vehicle emissions and tightening fuel quality standards, adopting air quality regulations and measures of sustainable urban mobility at the local level. Sulphur oxides, for example, have been reduced thanks to limits on the sulphur content of petroleum products.

The main problem of the region is outdated vehicles, which come from the European Union. That is why many call this area a cemetery for dirty cars from Europe. The largest number of vehicles is older than ten years, and the average age of cars in some countries ranges from 15 to 20 years, which means that in the region, for example, there are many vehicles with the outdated "Euro 3" standard.

How does this polluted air affect human health?

Adults who already suffer from cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and high blood pressure are more susceptible to air pollution. This is especially the case when it comes to the older members of the population. Prolonged exposure to polluted air is associated with stroke and ischemic heart disease. One study showed that mortality from heart disease increased by 0.6 per cent for every 20 µg/m³ increase in PM10 concentration. Another study showed that mortality from heart disease and the frequency of hospital admissions for heart disease and cardiac arrhythmias increased by 1.5 per cent.