Ukrainian cities with the dirtiest air: who topped the new anti-rating Shutterstock

Ukrainian cities with the dirtiest air: who topped the new anti-rating

No significant changes in air quality were recorded across the country

In 2024, according to the Air Pollution Index (API), there were no cities with very high levels of pollution in Ukraine, and high levels were observed in 14 cities: Kamianske, Dnipro, Kramatorsk, Kryvyi Rih, Lviv, Lutsk, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia, Kherson, Sloviansk, Cherkasy, Sumy, and Kyiv.

Such data was published by the Borys Sreznevsky Central Geophysical Observatory in its annual report “Review of the state of environmental pollution in Ukraine in 2024”.

Experts said that they assessed air pollution based on observations in 35 cities at 120 stationary posts of the monitoring network of hydrometeorological organizations. They noted that due to the hostilities in 2024, the number of cities and posts decreased again: no air pollution observations were made in Mariupol, Lysychansk, Rubizhne, and Siverskodonetsk. Since July 2024, observations have also been suspended in Kramatorsk at 4 posts and in Sloviansk at 2 posts.

Experts determined the content of 22 pollutants in the air, including 8 heavy metals.

The results

In the anti-rating compiled by NGO SaveDnipro based on the report's data, the Ukrainian cities with the most polluted air are in the following order:

t.me/SaveDnipro

Source: t.me/SaveDnipro.

The highest values of the index were observed in Kamianske, Dnipro, Kramatorsk, and Kryvyi Rih – from 11.2 to 13.9. The pollution index for the other 8 cities with high levels of pollution ranged from 7.5 to 8.9.

cgo-sreznevskyi.kyiv.ua

Source: cgo-sreznevskyi.kyiv.ua.

Observatory experts reminded that with an API of less than 5.0, the level of pollution is considered low; with an API of 5.0 to 7.0, it is considered high; from 7.0 to 14.0, it is considered high; from 14.0 and above, it is considered very high.

Other cities of Ukraine where observations were made were ranked by the value of the air pollution index as follows:

cgo-sreznevskyi.kyiv.ua

*- data for 6 months (from January to June). Source: cgo-sreznevskyi.kyiv.ua.

What are the dynamics

Last year, the level of air pollution in Mykolaiv decreased significantly – from high to elevated. In Odesa, it also decreased, but remained at a high level, and in Rivne, it decreased from high to low.

According to the monitoring data in 2024, experts included Sumy and Cherkasy in the priority list, where the level of air pollution has increased to high.

According to experts, the level of air pollution in Kryvyi Rih and Kamianske increased significantly, slightly in Zaporizhzhia, and remained high. In Kropyvnytskyi, the level of air pollution increased from low to high.

The air pollution index in all other cities of the country has not changed significantly.

Experts summarized that the overall level of air pollution in Ukraine according to the Air Pollution Index last year was 6.8 and was assessed as elevated. Compared to the previous year, it has hardly changed (in 2023 it was 6.6).

Earlier, EcoPolitics reported on the air quality of Kyiv among the world's capitals.

Tags: ,
Related
Enterprises will be obliged to transmit emissions data to the SEI in real time
Enterprises will be obliged to transmit emissions data to the SEI in real time

The Ukrainian public regularly demands that large polluting enterprises control emissions "at the pipe"

DTEK to receive €67 million from Ukrainian banks for energy storage construction
DTEK to receive €67 million from Ukrainian banks for energy storage construction

This will be the first large-scale project of this type in our country

Ministry of Economy is preparing a request to the European Commission to postpone CBAM for Ukraine – Kachka
Ministry of Economy is preparing a request to the European Commission to postpone CBAM for Ukraine – Kachka

Last summer, Ukrainian industry groups called on the authorities to ask the EU to apply the CBAM approach only to reporting for Ukraine during martial law and early reconstruction

Risks in the implementation of the REACH and CLP European regulations in Ukraine: what businesses should expect
Risks in the implementation of the REACH and CLP European regulations in Ukraine: what businesses should expect

New rules provide for large-scale changes for producers and importers