Air quality in Sopron

Is Sopron currently a very polluted city?

Sopron is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő. It is placed in fifteenth place with a 2017 estimated population of approximately 62,300 people.

At the beginning of 2022, Sopron was going through a period of “Moderate” air quality with a US AQI reading of 53. This United States Air Quality Index number is an internationally used set of metrics supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is used to compare the air quality in different cities throughout the world using comparable standards. It is calculated by using the levels of the six most commonly found pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, which are PM2.5 and PM10. If all six figures are not always available in which case, a level is calculated by using what data there is. In Sopron there were two major pollutants which were measured and these were; PM2.5 - 13 µg/m³ and PM10 - 18 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is just 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 classified as being “Moderate” the advice that is offered would be to remain indoors as much as possible, closing doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. Those who are more sensitive to poor quality air should avoid venturing outside until the quality improves. If this is unavoidable, then a high-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 vary much throughout the year in Sopron?

Air quality can be affected by many things, therefore it can and does change rapidly depending on the local conditions. Looking back at the 2020 figures published by IQAir.com, it can be seen that for February and from May until the end of October, Sopron achieved the WHO target figure of 10 µg/m³ or less. The cleanest month was June with a 5.2 µg/m³ reading. The month of April saw air quality from the “Good” bracket with a reading of 10.2 µg/m³. The remaining four months saw air quality classified as being “Moderate” with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³.

Records for air quality were first held in 2020 when the annual average was 10.8 µg/m³. This low figure was almost expected because it would have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as many vehicles were no longer in daily use because the offices were closed and the staff 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, 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 pollution in Sopron?

Contributors to poor air quality in Hungary include power generation, the mining industry, and vehicle emissions. But it's not just in the big cities that air pollution is a problem. Small villages in mountain areas are also exposed. The main cause is the smoke coming from chimneys, because of the poor-quality fuel used. Mostly its brown lignite or woos which is very often wet and therefore, does not burn at an optimal temperature. Pollution from heating increases the level of ultra-fine particles in the air by 20 which is very dangerous.

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most critical atmospheric pollutants since it has negative impacts not only on human health but also on environmental issues such as visibility, infrastructure, and ecosystems.

Can anything be done to improve air quality in Sopron?

The “HungAIRy” project, which will run for 8 years from January 2019, aims to solve one of the most significant environmental problems, to improve air quality in 8 Hungarian settlements covering 8 regions. This is achieved, among other things, through the development of emission databases, comprehensive awareness-raising and information activities, and the establishment of a national network of experts and consultants.

Promoting environmentally friendly modes of transport in order to reduce air pollution from transport, various awareness-raising and local pilot actions will be launched as part of the project, including the construction of a community cycling system and the development of intelligent urban transport systems.

Reducing emissions from households to reduce air pollution from improper combustion by households, the project will launch comprehensive awareness-raising and local pilot actions, such as support and promotion of district heating, composting, optimization of solid fuel supply and development of urban green spaces.

Use of environmentally friendly agricultural technologies the project will also encourage good practices to reduce air pollution from agricultural sources, and support the training of farmers and the introduction of environmentally friendly technologies.

What are the detrimental effects of breathing polluted air in Sopron?

Exposure to air pollution can affect everyone’s health. When we breathe, pollution enters our lungs and can enter our bloodstream. Air pollution can contribute to small annoyances like coughing or itchy eyes. It can also as cause or worsen many diseases involving the lungs and breathing, leading to hospitalisations, cancer, or even premature death.

The type and amount of exposure varies depending on your location, the time of day, and even the weather. Exposure to air pollution is higher near pollution sources like busy roadways or wood-burning equipment. Many of our daily activities expose us to higher levels of air pollution. Idling cars and chemicals we use in our homes all contribute to overall air pollution and expose us to harmful air pollutants.

Nitrogen oxides come mainly from the combustion products of vehicle fuels, as well as from energy production and heating. In the outdoor atmosphere, nitric oxide is rapidly converted to nitrogen dioxide, an irritating gas, by oxidizing substances present in the atmosphere. It has been shown that more people who live along busy roads become asthmatics. High concentrations of nitrogen oxides are likely to contribute to heart and lung disease and reduce the body’s resistance to respiratory infections.