Head of National Environmental Guard announces regulation on location of air quality sensors

Romania is a green oasis on the world's air pollution map and is doing very well compared to other countries in the region, chief commissioner of the National Environmental Guard, Octavian Berceanu, said on Friday. Berceanu announced that a Regulation will be developed in the next period on the location of air quality sensors for greater data accuracy. Speaking about measurements done in winter time, Berceanu said that the poor air quality in certain localities during the cold season is due to thermal inversion that acts like a cap on the upward air movement and keeps the noxious substances down, near the ground. Pollution is mainly generated by residential heating with solid fuels and traffic, particularly in busy cities like Iasi, Bucharest or Cluj, Berceanu told broadcaster Digi24. According to the Environment official, even if they are accurate, sometimes the independent air quality monitoring sensors are not properly installed, as they are placed "near vents, chimneys or close to apartment heating units". In this context, Berceanu specified that European money is available to invest in a national air quality sensor network. "It matters a lot how we measure. People install Airly sensors around their houses, at the windows. Sometimes the sensor measurements are correct, but their placement leaves to be desired, as they are mounted near vents, chimneys or close to apartment heating units. We, experts and NGOs, are trying to develop a location regulation. We have found the solution and the resource to invest European money in a national sensor network. With this acquisition, plus the sensors from the alternative networks we will integrate, we'll have a very clear, competitive image at European level of Romania's air quality. If we look at the World Air Quality Index, we see that Romania fares quite well compared to the surrounding countries. We have a lot of pollution in Poland, in the southern Balkans, in Turkey, Greece and the Italian Peninsula. Fortunately, on this map we look like a green oasis," said the head of the Environmental Guard. Berceanu also recommends giving up personal cars and using public transportation, particularly in winter. "The supply of fresh air in Bucharest comes through the west and exits through the east side and is somewhat limited during the winter. For the cold season I wholeheartedly recommend leaving the cars at home and using public transportation," Octavian Berceanu advised. According to a survey published on Thursday by the Airly platform, Covasna, Ilfov and Iasi are among the most polluted counties in Romania, along with Bucharest; the counties of Harghita and Galati are at the opposite end, with the lowest annual average concentration of PM10 in the country. The report includes the pollution levels from November 2020 to February 2021, and shows that the five counties with the lowest air quality in Romania are Covasna - with a PM10 concentration of 52.3 ľg/m3, followed by Ilfov (41.8), Iasi (40), Dolj (39.5) and Bucharest (38.6). Harghita County tops the ranking of the counties with the best air quality (with an average of 10.6 ľg/m3), followed by Galati (16.5), Valcea (16.9), Braila (16.9) and Satu Mare (18.6). The World Health Organization (WHO) describes air quality in Romania as moderately unsafe, noting also that it is changeable and worsens significantly in winter, being mainly caused by heating with thermal power plants and vehicle emissions. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Badea, editor: Mariana Nica; EN - editor: Simona Klodnischi)