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:
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.
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:
*- 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.
