Air quality in Ruse

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

Ruse (also known as Rousse or Russe) is the fifth largest city in Bulgaria. It can be found on the right bank of the River Danube in the north eastern part of the country. On the opposite bank of the river is the Romanian city of Giurgiu. According to a census conducted in 2011, Ruse had an estimated population of approximately 150,000 inhabitants.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2021, Ruse was going through a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 53. This reading is used as a benchmark when comparing other cities around the world. Data is collected with regards to the six most prolific air pollutants commonly found and this figure is calculated from there. If information is not available for all six, then a figure can be deduced using the information that is available. In the case of Ruse, there were all six pollutants recorded. These were; PM2.5 - 13.2 µg/m³, PM10 - 35.4 µg/m³, ozone (O₃) - 5 µg/m³, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) - 33.8 µg/m³, sulphur dioxide (SO₂) - 10.8 µg/m³ and carbon monoxide (CO) - 0.6 µg/m³. These figures are quoted in microns per cubic metre. At this level, the PM2.5 figure is 1.3 times above the recommended target figure as suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of 10 µg/m³. However, no amount of air pollution is safe but 10 µg/m³ is regarded as being acceptable.

With a level such as this, sensitive groups of people should avoid outdoor exercise until the air quality improves. The more general advice given is to remain indoors where possible and close all windows and doors to prevent more polluted air from entering the rooms. An app is available from AirVisual for most mobile operating systems which will give you a real-time reading of air pollution to help make your choice of activities.

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

Air quality can change very quickly as it can and is affected by many variables. Looking back at the 2020 figures published by IQAir.com it can be seen that the month with the worst air quality was January with a reading of 49.6 µg/m³ which placed it in the “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” bracket. February, March and April, together with October, November and December saw air quality from the “Moderate” category with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. August and September saw “Good” quality air with figures of 10.8 and 11.8 µg/m³, respectively. The remaining three months of May, June and July achieved the target figure of less than 10 µg/m³ as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Records for air pollution have been kept since 2017 when the recorded figure was 25.4 µg/m³, the following year of 2018 saw a slight improvement at 24.8 µg/m³. Yet another improvement in 2019 with a figure of 22.0 µg/m³, and another in 2020 with 19.4 µg/m³. However, this latest figure may not be an accurate representation of reality because of the COVID-19 restrictions in place. Many office workers were encouraged to work from home and therefore no longer needed to drive to the office every day. This reduced air pollution very noticeably. This reduction in pollution was noticed in many cities throughout the world.

Is there a main source of air pollution in Ruse?

The main air pollutants on the territory of Ruse municipality are fine dust particles. Dust is released into the air during incomplete combustion of solid and liquid fuels in thermal power plants, industry, transport, household, etc., as well as during high-temperature industrial processes. Dust particles are also formed by chemical reactions, including nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic hydrocarbons, ammonia and others.

The worn-out fleet (cars, trucks and buses) and the large number of transit vehicles, mainly heavy goods, emit large amounts of harmful compounds into the atmosphere and are a significant factor in air pollution. The use of solid fuel for heating a large part of the population remains the main source of municipal air pollution during the cold half of the year, mainly with sulphur dioxide and dust.

Four main industrial sources of pollution are clearly defined which generate nearly 90 per cent of the industrial pollution in and around Ruse.

Can the air quality in Ruse be improved?

Five years ago, the Municipality of Ruse was defined as problematic in terms of the state of the atmospheric air and was included in the national list of 28 more municipalities in Bulgaria, which must prepare a program for improving the quality of the atmospheric air.

There are several medium and long-term measures introduced to improve the air quality in Ruse. These include;

• Installation of solar panels and collectors for hot water on the roofs of municipal buildings
• Continuation of the construction of a network of bicycle lanes and creation of a municipal bicycle rental system
• Limiting the practices of manual sweeping of streets and pavements
• Renovation of the bus fleet with electric buses for public transport
• Sustainable management, maintenance and development of the green system in Ruse
• Introduction of parking machines, change in the price inserts for short-term parking
• Create a single, publicly accessible electronic and information system for the air in Ruse

What are the detrimental effects breathing polluted air has on the human body?

Air pollutants invade the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, "looking" for that weak spot where they can accumulate and cause disease. There is no organ or system that cannot be affected by air pollution. Air pollutants have been found to have the ability to alter the allergen index of some pollens. Altered in this way, pollen becomes much more aggressive, both the ability to spread in the environment and to the increased allergic reaction within the human body. Accordingly, bronchial hyperreactivity increases. But the lungs are far from the only affected organ. Affecting the nervous system can have various clinical manifestations - developmental disorders, inflammation of neurons, oxidative stress, changes in the blood-brain barrier, headache, anxiety, stroke and Alzheimer's disease.

Exposure to lead in childhood may lead to decreased cognitive function, including response time, visual-spatial abilities, and executive function in adults, the loss of cognitive flexibility and the ability to think abstractly. Exposure to lead can also affect people's subsequent verbal memory and active vocabulary.