The amount of fine dust dispersed in the air in Latvia continued to decrease on Sunday, and operational information from Lithuania suggests that the air could become even cleaner on Monday.
According to the data published by the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center (LEGMC), the daily average concentration of PM10 particles on Sunday in Riga, Brivibas Street, was 56 micrograms per cubic meter (µg / m³) – twice lower than on Friday, when it reached 123 µg / m³.
In Liepāja, this indicator was 30 µg / m³ on Sunday – three times lower than on Friday and Saturday. In Rucava, the concentration of microscopic dust decreased from 120 µg / m³ on Friday to 93 µg / m³ on Saturday and 27 µg / m³ on Sunday.
In Rēzekne, air pollution decreased only slightly on Sunday – the daily average concentration of PM10 was 44 µg / m³, compared to 52 µg / m³ on Saturday and 61 µg / m³ on Friday.
Consequently, the air quality index in Latvia on Sunday was mediocre to good.
Operational information from Lithuanian monitoring stations shows that PM10 concentrations in the neighboring country have decreased to 25-45 µg / m³ in the last 24 hours, which corresponds to good and average air quality.
PM10 is dust with a diameter of up to 10 micrometers. For comparison – human hair has an average diameter of 50-70 micrometers or microns.
The European Union directive and the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia on air quality stipulate that the limit value for PM10 particles for the protection of human health is 50 µg / m³ in a 24-hour period, but 35 exceedances are allowed per year.
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the fourth largest health risk, behind high blood pressure, unhealthy diets and smoking.
On Thursday, October 1, all of Latvia from the southeast was covered by fog, but initially it was not known what the air quality was. The first indications of very high air pollution came from Lithuania, while the LEGMC only disseminated information about poor air quality on Friday afternoon.
According to the explanation published on the LEGMC website, the air quality index dropped to the worst level, at least in some places in Latvia, which stipulates that there must be an emergency warning because the health of the population is endangered, but no state institution has issued such a warning.
Deterioration of air quality was caused by drought and strong winds in a large region, as well as fires in eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Air quality in the Baltic States was deteriorated by both fire smoke and wind-borne sand and dust particles.
According to the European Commission’s Copernicus program, a small proportion of dust pollution may have traveled not only from south-eastern Europe but also from the desert areas of Asia and Africa.
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