Air quality in Ashgabat

Is Ashgabat a very polluted city regarding air quality?

Ashgabat is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan. It is situated between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag mountains in Central Asia near the Iran-Turkmenistan border. According to a census conducted in 2012, Ashgabat had an estimated population of just over 1,000,000 residents.

In September 2021, Ashgabat was experiencing a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 74. The United States Air Quality Index number is calculated by using the levels of six of the most commonly found air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, (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. The only figure available here was that of PM2.5 which was 23 µg/m³. This level is just over twice the recommended level of 10 µg/m³ as suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Although no level of air pollution is considered as being safe. However, 10 µg/m³ or less is a goal to work towards.

With pollution at this level, it is advisable to remain indoors and close doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. Those of a sensitive disposition should avoid all outdoor activity until the air quality improves. If venturing outside is unavoidable, then a good quality face mask should be worn at all times. For up-to-date information about air quality, there is an app available from AirVisual which is downloadable for all mobile devices from your usual app store.

Does the level of pollution stay the same throughout the year in Ashgabat?

Looking back at the figures for 2020 which were published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that for ten months of the year the air quality in Ashgabat was “Moderate “quality with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. The best month being July with a 12.5 µg/m³ figure. The worst was in December when a figure of 25.6 µg/m³ was recorded. The two months of the year with “Good” quality air were in April and May with figures of 12.0 and 10.4 µg/m³, respectively.

Records pertaining to air quality were not kept before 2020 when a recording of 17 µg/m³ was noted. This reading may have been affected by the COVID-19 situation as many vehicles were no longer in daily use as staff were encouraged to work from home 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.

Is there a main source of air pollution in Ashgabat?

Contributors to poor air quality in Turkmenistan include the oil, gas, manufacturing and construction industry, the textile industries and vehicle emissions.

The concentration of particulate matter (PM) is a key air quality indicator since it is the most common air pollutant that affects short term and long-term health. Two sizes of particulate matter are used to analyse air quality; fine particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) and coarse particles with a diameter of less than 10 microns (PM10). PM2.5 particles are more concerning because their small size allows them to travel deeper into the cardiopulmonary system and enter the bloodstream.

Around 40 per cent of the world’s people rely on household burning of wood, charcoal, dung, crop waste, or coal to meet basic energy needs. Cooking and heating with solid fuels create harmful smoke and particles that fill homes and the surrounding environment, especially when the wood that is burned has a high moisture content. Household air pollution from cooking and heating with solid fuels is responsible for 2.9 million deaths a year.

What can be done to reduce air pollution in Ashgabat?

The British energy company The Eco Experts listed Turkmenistan as one of the world's most poisonous countries. The report lists 135 countries around the world in terms of air pollution, energy use, and a special list of air pollution levels. The report ranked Turkmenistan among the world's most poisonous countries, ranking seventh. According to the report, 108 people die every year in Turkmenistan due to air poisoning.

Turkmenistan approved all Sustainable Development Goals, including the 12^th and 13^th Sustainable Development Goals and indicators. Turkmenistan is investing in large-scale infrastructure projects and implementing water-efficient technologies to prevent water and environmental pollution, reduce air pollution by planting garden seedlings in populated areas and increase food production.

What are the health impacts of breathing dirty air in Ashgabat?

Long-term exposure to high levels of fine particles, such as PM2.5 in the air contributes to a range of health effects, including respiratory diseases, lung cancer and heart disease, resulting in 4.2 million deaths each year. Not only does exposure to air pollution affect the health of the world’s people, it also carries huge economic costs and represents a strain on development, particularly for low and middle income countries and vulnerable segments of the population such as children and the elderly.

Traffic-related air pollution, from motor vehicle emissions, maybe the most recognisable form of air pollution. It contains most of the elements of man-made air pollution: ground-level ozone, various forms of carbon, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and fine particulate matter.

Ozone is an atmospheric gas, also known as smog when at ground level. It is created when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries and other sources chemically react with each other in the presence of sunlight.

Particulate matter (PM) is composed of chemicals such as sulphates, nitrates, carbon or mineral dust. Vehicle and industrial emissions from fossil fuel combustion, cigarette smoke, and burning organic matter, such as wildfires, all contain PM.

A subset of PM, fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) is 30 times thinner than a human hair. It can be inhaled deeply into lung tissue and contribute to serious health problems. The particle size is so small that it can bypass the body’s defence system and travel through to the base of the lungs where it enters the alveoli and can pass into the bloodstream. PM 2.5 accounts for most health effects due to air pollution in many countries.