We have the worst air in the entire Union, and even on days when standards are outrageously exceeded, no one tells us about it. On the other hand, the inhabitants of Prague, Paris and Budapest hear about it in all media with already three times lower dust concentration in the air. Contrary to the inhabitants of Krakow or Warsaw, they have a chance to go out in masks like Tokyo people on that day, not to leave the house, or to flee the city. The Polish Smog Alert collects signatures on an appeal to the Ministry of Environment to create an effective smog warning system.
The most polluted of our cities is Krakow. Right behind him in this unpleasant ranking are Tychy, Gliwice, Nowy Targ and Zabrze (find your city – infographic at the end of the material – ed.) In Paris, the smog alert is announced at a PM10 dust concentration of 80 micrograms per cubic meter per day. Every resident of the French capital learns about it, and who that day will turn on the radio, TV or internet for a while. In Poland, the same air condition is referred to as “good”. The alarm would only be issued when the concentration of particulate matter reached 300 micrograms per cubic meter as it approaches it, no one cares about it. – And this is such a high concentration that it is in vain to look for a similar one in other European Union countries – the Polish Smog Alert this time raised a real alarm and announces that the appeal, which is to force the Ministry of the Environment to act, was signed by 10. people, will be handed over to the government plenipotentiary for climate policy, Paweł Sałek.
Cancer and asthma for a Pole
Of course, air pollution in Polish cities has a huge impact on the fact that more and more Poles suffer from cancer. The second disease that is increasingly affecting us because of this is asthma. – As many as four million Poles suffer from it. And as many as two million have no idea about it. 1500 people die of them annually, says Dr. Piotr Dąbrowiecki, MD, an allergist from the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw, chairman of the Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy and COPD Patients’ Associations in an interview with MedTvoiLokony.
How can we defend ourselves against polluted air on our own before the government starts doing it effectively? – If we heat our house with coal in winter, we must have a good-quality stove and good-quality coal or eco-cork. And, of course, we do not throw rubbish into the furnace. And if we have a fireplace, it should always be closed. We can also choose gas or electric heating – says Dr. Piotr Dąbrowiecki, MD, PhD.
And for the way to work and back, for a walk with the dog at a time when the concentration of pollutants is the highest, I suggest that we equip ourselves with a mask that protects against airborne dust. Yes, it’s about the same mask worn by the people of Tokyo, which was worn by Michael Jackson, who made us laugh so much at the time. Dr. Piotr Dąbrowiecki explains in detail which mask to choose: “One that actually protects against particulate matter, that is specialist, marked with the symbols PM 10 or PM 2,5. It costs about PLN 50 and it is really worth getting it ”.
Polish “oxygen” is particulate matter
The history of our country shows that Poles have always been tough guys. It seems that environmental protection officials are taking it too literally. Because they inflated the norms so much that they would consider the situation an emergency if the dust in the air reached almost four times greater concentrations than what terrifies the French, Czechs and Hungarians. – Do Poles have different lungs than Hungarians and Czechs? – asks rhetorically Andrzej Guła, the leader of the Polish Smog Alert. – It is sad that we are not informed honestly about such an important thing as a threat to our health, and often life as well – he adds.
Statistics say that in Poland, about 45 thousand die every year due to diseases caused by air pollution. people. – Unawareness of the threat means that we are not able to protect ourselves against the negative impact of air pollution on days when the concentrations of carcinogenic dust are the highest – points out Andrzej Guła.
Who and when should actually inform us that we are starting to breathe something that can lead to cancer? – PM10 dust concentrations in excess of 300 micrograms per cubic meter are an alarm value. The provincial environmental protection inspectorate then informs the relevant crisis management team about this exceedance and it is responsible for informing the public about the situation, says Barbara Toczko from the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection. He adds that it is the role of local authorities to warn residents that spending that day outdoors is risky to health.
Paweł Mucha, spokesman for the Ministry of Environmental Protection, assures that the ministry wants to systematically solve the problem of pollution, and that a committee for the National Air Protection Program has already been established, which also includes representatives of other ministries, and that the Polish Smog Alert has also been invited to cooperate. For example, emission standards for home heating appliances are to be introduced. In a year and a half, it will no longer be possible to sell or install most solid fuel boilers in Poland and it will be possible to apply for funding to buy one that meets the required standards.
EU regulations say that the annual limit value for dust concentration is 40, and the daily limit is 50 micrograms per cubic meter (it cannot be exceeded more than 35 times a year).
What diseases does smog cause