Dušan Štefánik, Juraj Beňo, Jana Matejovičová, Michal Mladý, Veronika Mináriková, Jana Krajčovičová, Vladimír Nemček, Martin Kremler
Meteorological conditions
Air quality is affected by emissions of pollutants and meteorological conditions. Meteorological factors that most affect air quality:
- Dispersion conditions - this is a combination of "long-term" and "short-term" influences - e.g. the average wind speed for a given location is determined by the surrounding terrain. In mountain valleys there are long-term unfavorable dispersion conditions in connection with low wind speed, frequent occurrence of no wind and related temperature inversions. However, unfavorable dispersion conditions also occur in the area of pressure height. On the contrary, the passage of atmospheric fronts is usually associated with windy weather. The distribution and length of stay of various pressure systems can vary greatly from year to year.
- The temperature during the heating season - indirectly, but significantly affects air quality by conditioning heating requirements. The heating of households with solid fuel in Slovakia is currently a determining factor in most locations, which causes deteriorated air quality - increased concentrations of dust particles and especially benzo(a)pyrene.
- Atmospheric precipitation - positively affects air quality through wet deposition
More detailed information can be found in the climatological evaluation of the year on the SHMÚ website and in the evaluation of individual months in the Meteorology and Climatology Bulletin. Prevailing types of weather situations are published on the website, the analysis of the ground pressure field for individual days is also presented in the Meteorology and Climatology Bulletin (in slovak language).
Concentrations of monitored pollutants in 2023
The following summary describes the results of air quality monitoring in 2023. More detailed processing will be published at the end of June 2023 in the Report on air quality in the Slovak Republic 2023 on the SHMÚ website.
PM10 - Annual mean - In 2023, the limit value of 40 µg/m3 for the average annual concentration of PM10 was not exceeded at any monitoring station. The situation was similar in previous years.
Daily mean - Exceedances of the limit value for the protection of human health for 24-hour concentrations occurred at two automatic monitoring stations (AMS) in 2023 - in Veľká Ida and Jelšava. The year before (2022) this limit value was exceeded at three AMS - Veľká Ida, Letná; Plášt'ovce and Jelšava, Jesenského. In 2021 this limit value was exceeded at three AMS - Veľká Ida, Letná; Banská Bystrica, Štefánikovo nábr. and Jelšava, Jesenského. In 2020, only Jelšava AMS was exceeded, while in 2019, three AMS (Košice, Štefánikova; Jelšava, Jesenského; and Veľká Ida, Letná) registered exceedances. In Veľká Ida, the industrial source is a significant source of air pollution, while during the winter months the impact of domestic heating is also evident, and the non-electrified railway line near the monitoring station also contributes to air pollution to some extent. In Jelšava, household heating with solid fuels is a significant contributor to air pollution, with the nearby industrial source probably playing a minor role. Most exceedances in Jelšava were recorded in February.
PM2,5 - In 2023, the limit value of 20 µg/m3 for the average annual concentration of PM2.5 was not exceeded. The value at two AMS (Veľká Ida, Letná; Jelšava, Jesenského) reached the limit value of 20 µg/m3.
BaP - In 2023, benzo(a)pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were monitored at 20 stations, of which the target value of 1 ng/m3 for the annual average concentration of BaP was exceeded at 10 stations (Veľká Ida, Letná; Jelšava, Jesenského; Plášt'ovce; Krompachy, SNP; Ružomberok, Riadok; Oščadnica; Púchov, 1. May; Žilina, Obežná; Banská Bystrica, Štefánikovo nábrežie; Prievidza, Malonecpalská). The measurement in Žarnovica did not reach the required proportion of valid data due to the move of the AMS to a new location, but it can be assumed that the target value would be exceeded in Žarnovica in 2023 even with a full year of measurements. At most sites, local heating is the decisive source of BaP, at Velika Ida it is largely the contribution of the industrial complex, especially from coke production.SO2 - In 2023, limit values for SO2 were not exceeded. Daily and hourly concentrations of SO2 no longer exceed the limit value for a long time. The assessment is still preliminary, it will be closed after adding all the measured values to the database.
NO2 - In 2023, the limit values for NO2 were not exceeded. Hourly concentrations of NO2 do not exceed the limit value for a long time. Exceeding the limit value for the average annual concentration of NO2 was last measured in 2018 in Prešov and Bratislava on Trnavské Mýto. The assessment is still preliminary, it will be closed after adding all the measured values to the database.
CO - At none of the monitoring stations in Slovakia was the limit value for CO exceeded in 2023, while the level of air pollution for the previous period of 2012-2023 is below the lower limit assessmentthreshold the level of air pollution. CO concentrations are below the limit value for a long time.
Benzene - The average annual concentration values are deeply below the limit value of 5 µg/m3.Ozone - According to the meassurement, the target value of ground-level ozone was exceeded in 2023 at two stations: Bratislava, Jeséniova and Chopok. The evaluation of 2023 will be finnalized after adding all measured values to the database.
Pb, As, Ni, Cd - Neither the limit value (for Pb) nor the target value (for As, Cd, Ni) were exceeded in 2023. Average annual concentrations of these heavy metals measured at NMSKO stations are usually only a fraction of the limit, or target value.
Air quality is evaluated against limit and target values based on year-round measurements. However, short-term but extremely high concentrations of pollutants are also dangerous for human health. Therefore, a smog warning system was introduced to protect the health of the population. At the time of the declaration of a smog situation, in the interest of health protection, it is necessary to follow the instructions of the state authorities, for example to reduce the ventilation of living rooms. Especially elderly and sick people, pregnant women and children should limit outdoor physical activity during smog situations.
The highest concentrations of PM10 occur during the heating season. Their main problem is related to the heating of households with solid fuel in connection with an unfavorable dispersion situation. The total number of alerts on the PM10 smog situation in 2023 decreased again slightly compared to 2022. No warning of a serious smog situation was issued. Several notifications of the occurrence of a PM10 smog situation were issued (3 for Jelšava, 2 for Ružomberok and one each for Krompachy and Martin).
Exceeding the information threshold for O3 occurs sporadically in Slovakia. Higher concentrations of O3 are registered especially in summer, since the chemical reactions that produce O3 depend on the intensity of solar radiation. In 2023, three notices were issued about the occurrence of a smog situation for O3 (June 19 for Komárno district, June 21 for Bratislava, August 22 for Bratislava and Pezinok district). The warning threshold for O3 in Slovakia was not exceeded. For year-on-year comparison – in 2022, one notice was issued about the occurrence of a smog situation for O3 (the information threshold was exceeded on 17 August 2022 at Bratislava, Jeséniova station).
A smog alert warning treshold for SO2 and NO2 has not been exceeded in Slovakia since 2013.
Air quality in the neighboring countries
The problems with air pollution in European countries are similar to those in Slovakia, while the concentrations of basic pollutants (especially dust particles) have been gradually decreasing in recent years, similar to Slovakia. The countries of Western Europe have more pronounced problem with NO2, especially in the road canyons of big cities. In Poland and the Czech Republic, similar to the Slovak Republic, high concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene are measured in connection with the heating of households with solid fuel. High values of O3 are recorded mainly by the countries of southern Europe.
