Air pollution in Eastern Europe: Dark numbers and veiled measured values

Air pollution in Eastern Europe: Dark numbers and veiled measured values

An alarming outcry from Europe: Air pollution with the dangerous diesel exhaust poison nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is systematically obscured in several countries! Sensational revelations of German Environmental Aid (DUH) show that the authorities in Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Kosovo and Romania close their eyes to shocking reality. Over 300 comprehensive air quality measurements between 2022 and 2024 confirm that the burden is much higher than we want to believe.

At 64 secret places, the measurements of the DUH have revealed much higher NO2 values ​​than state the official data of the authorities. The sobering result? The binding EU annual means of 40 micrograms per cubic meter is exceeded in 55 positions. The question arises: Why were the official measurement stations placed so far from the actual stress hotspots? And how much influence do the authorities have?

criticism from the slipstream

DUH federal managing director Jürgen Resch raises the alarm: "Federal Minister of Transport Wissing relies on new cars for Germany and exports dirty diesel cars to Eastern Europe, without tackling the problem behind." The shocking truth is that more than 142,000 people in the EU die early due to the dirty air! The DUH calls for a rigorous review of all official measurement stations in Europe so that the authorities no longer grapine in the dark.

The report “European Monitoring CHECK - Results of NO2 Measurements Across Europe” published today is part of a comprehensive campaign that has been carried out by DUH since 2018 and in partnership with local NGOs throughout Europe. So far, over 5,000 NO2 measurements have been raised in 19 countries-an impressive sum that underlines the urgency of the topic.

The method of choice

The measurements in this examination were carried out by so-called "passive collectors"-a procedure that scientists proved to be accurate and also used by state authorities, such as in North Rhine-Westphalia. A look at the results of these critical measurements at any time at www.duh.de/no2airpollution.

For the citizens of Eastern Europe, this could be the first step towards a fairer treatment, but the challenge remains huge. The findings are not only alarming, they all ask us to stand up for the truth.