Particulates

The continuing warming and transport of air masses from the Mediterranean to the interior of Europe has increased the concentration of fine dust from the deserts of North Africa. In Bulgaria the visibility is reduced in the western half, but this process is expected to continue to the east, according to forecasts from the University of Athens.

Air quality dramatically improved in the Turkish metropolitan city of Istanbul as people shelter in their homes to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to the city's municipality.
The air pollution im Istanbul fell around 30 percent after stay-at-home calls.

The air in Sofia was dangerously polluted last night, according to official data from the municipality, BNR reported. Exceedance of the reference limits for the content of fine particulate matter in the air has been reported by all stations except the one in the Kopitoto mountain area and the non-working one in the Nadezhda neighborhood.

The number of early deaths caused by air pollution in Greece is nearly double the European Union average, according to research.

Data from the European Environment Agency show that there were 16,440 early deaths in Greece in 2016 due to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3). 

Elevated levels of fine particulate matter have been registered in Sofia, airsofia.info reported. According to the map, the air is polluted in almost the entire city. 

Most polluted residential areas are Knyazhevo, Gorna Banya, Karpuzitsa, Boyana, Ovcha Kupel, Studentski grad, Krasna Polyana and parts of Mladost 2.

The map is provided by airsofia.info

Elevated levels of fine particulate matter in the air in Sofia.

According to the map, published and provided by Аirsofia.info, the air is polluted in almost the entire city:

The most polluted air is in the neighborhoods: Hadzhi Dimitar, Orlandovtsi, Hristo Smirnenski, Poduyane and Levski.

Elevated levels of fine particulate matter in the air in Sofia. According to the map, published and provided by Аirsofia.info, the air is polluted in almost the entire city, except for a few areas near Vitosha.
Due to the increased levels of fine particulate matter, parking spaces near metro stations will be free of charge throughout the day.

Forecasters have detected particulate matter in the air in South America.

The smoke from the fires in Australia reached Chile and Argentina.

The presence of smoke should not cause any serious effects in the South American nation, since it rarely rains in that area.

Atmospheric currents carried fragments across the Pacific Ocean 12,000 kilometers from the raging fires.

As an increasing number of city dwellers use their fireplaces to keep warm amid dropping temperatures, the Hellenic Cancer Society has warned of the health risks of burning wood in urban settings and has called on the government to ban the practice and introduce inspections and fines for offenders. 

After a series of days with noticeably cleaner air during the Christmas and New Year's holidays, on the third day of the new year the air quality measurement stations in Sofia again report an increased concentration of fine dust particles, BNR reported.