Air quality in Drobeta-Turnu Severin

What is the current level of air pollution in Drobeta-Turnu Severin?

Drobeta-Turnu Severin, colloquially Severin, is a city in Mehedinți County, Oltenia, Romania, on the northern bank of the Danube. According to a census conducted in 2011, Severin had an estimated population of approximately 93,000 people, which was a considerable increase from the 1900 figure of 18,600.

At the beginning of 2022, Severin was experiencing a period of air quality that was classified as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with a US AQI reading of 132. 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. There were just two pollutants measured and recorded in Severin which were PM2.5 - 48 µg/m³ and PM10 - 76 µg/m³. This level of PM2.5 is almost five 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 “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” 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 would be advantageous to operate an air purifier if there is one available, but ensure it is set to recirculate the existing air and not import more dirty 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 change much throughout the year in Drobeta-Turnu Severin?

Air quality can be very volatile as it is easily affected by many things. Looking back at the figures for 2020, published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that the year could be split into three parts, each with different air quality. From September until the end of January, the air quality was classified as being “Moderate” with levels between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. February and March brought “Good” quality air with figures between 10.1 and 12.0 µg/m³. From the start of April until the end of August Severin achieved the WHO target of being less than 10 µg/m³. The cleanest month was August with a low reading of 6.1 µg/m³.

There were no records for air pollution kept before 2020 when the figure then was 12.7 µg/m³. 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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin?

One of the main problems is caused by nitrogen dioxide, resulting from emissions produced mainly by old and diesel-fuelled cars. This substance has been classified by specialists as a high-risk carcinogen. Another major problem is the illegal burning of waste that takes place on the outskirts of the city. The burning of garbage, tyres or other hazardous waste makes the air a carrier of poisons which is then inhaled by children, the elderly or sick people who are some of the most susceptible groups.

Out of 10,000 industrial units in Europe, the first 20 units that cause the greatest damage to human health and the environment are coal-fired power plants. The one here in Severin was ranked in the top twenty from all of Europe.

Romania ranks 2^nd in the top of the pollution costs generated by coal-fired power plants, in the same position as Germany. The impact of this pollution in Romania amounts to 2,731 premature deaths, approximately 1,284 new cases of chronic bronchitis and over 619,660 working days lost annually. The costs of the impact of coal-fired power plants on health in Romania are estimated at approximately 6.4 billion euros per year.

Coal-fired energy production is worsening the already poor air quality in Europe - mainly caused by the transport sector, industrial processes, residential heating systems and agriculture. Coal-fired power plants emit significant amounts of suspended dust, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides - the latter indirectly contributing to ozone formation.

Can anything be done to improve air quality in Drobeta-Turnu Severin?

Severin is one of the cities with the highest degree of air quality in Romania and, thanks mainly to the areas of green spaces that are constantly being enlarged. Every degraded area of land within the city is for the benefit of the people of Severin, and in this sense, European funds have been attracted for the rehabilitation of abandoned spaces and over one million euros will be invested in urban regeneration.

What are the detrimental effects of breathing in polluted air?

Specialists have established a link between air pollution and respiratory diseases, with the risk of asthma and other respiratory infections being increased when there is exposure to polluted air.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease, identified by inflammation and closure of the airways, which can cause a feeling of strangulation, decreased breathing capacity, wheezing and coughing.

Air pollution can aggravate asthma symptoms and may even be the cause of the growing number of people suffering from this condition. Dust, smoke and volatile organic compounds are other pollutants that can cause asthma. Asthma attacks can even be caused by cigarette smoke.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by narrowing of the airways - a permanent change rather than a reversible condition. The main cause of COPD is long-term exposure to substances such as polluted air, which irritate and damage the lungs. The two main types of COPD include bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema.