Air quality uneven, outdoor stay should be minimized

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Measurement indicators of air pollutants in the Sarajevo Canton area record exceedances of permitted values for PM10 particles. At the same time, the state of air quality is not uniform across the territory of the Canton, with the Vijećnica area standing out with the lowest concentrations, as well as the areas of Ilidža and Ilijaš with the highest measured concentrations. Other monitored air pollutants are within permitted limits.

Although the temperature inversion has disappeared due to changes in meteorological conditions, this uneven state of air quality has occurred because there was no stronger wind or more intense precipitation that would significantly reduce accumulated pollutants from the atmosphere above the Sarajevo basin. However, the continuation of similar weather conditions today and tomorrow should have a stronger effect on reducing concentrations of air pollutants. Light rain is expected to continue, while on Wednesday there may be somewhat stronger wind that could contribute to improving air quality.

Given the variability of weather conditions and concentrations in all zones of Sarajevo Canton, the state of Readiness remains in effect, and all measures provided for within this episode should be applied.

Because of all this, the Institute for Public Health of Sarajevo Canton recommends that the population, both at-risk groups and the healthy population, minimize their movement and outdoor stay, and as much as possible, spend time in clean air on nearby mountains.

They emphasize that during any potentially unavoidable outdoor stay, protective respiratory masks should be used to at least partially mitigate the harmful impact of suspended particles and soot on health. They also suggest reducing ventilation of rooms until weather conditions change. They underline that exercising and running outdoors are not recommended, as this leads to deeper breathing and larger amounts of air pollutants entering the lungs.

They also point out that outdoor movement (parks, playgrounds, etc.) should be limited, with this recommendation particularly directed at high-risk groups of the population such as pregnant women, children, the elderly, and chronic patients. Additionally, this group of the population is advised not to stay in smoky and unventilated rooms.

They remind chronic patients with lung and heart diseases to regularly use their therapy and, in case of worsening of the underlying disease, to contact their attending physician in a timely manner.

Residents of Sarajevo Canton can find more information on self-protection measures in the recommendations of the Ministry of Health of Sarajevo Canton at the page: https://mz.ks.gov.ba/aktuelnosti/zdravstvene-preporuke-rizicnim-grupama-stanovnistva-kod-povecanih-koncentracija

The latest announcements regarding air quality and measured values of monitored pollutants can be followed on the page: http://kvalitetzraka.ba/ as well as on the page of the Government of Sarajevo Canton: http://vlada.ks.gov.ba/