Environment - Windy turn of the year blows away fine dust
The windy weather on New Year's Eve this year quickly reduced the fine dust pollution caused by fireworks and firecrackers. "The traditional increase in the concentration of particulate matter after midnight was significantly lower than last year," reported the Hessian State Agency for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG) in Wiesbaden on Wednesday.
The highest half-hourly value of over 800 micrograms per cubic meter of air was measured at the Wiesbaden Ringkirche. On average, a value of around 135 was reached across all urban stations. At no Hessian measuring point was the daily average above 50, which according to HLNUG is significantly lower than in previous years.
Air pollution poses a health risk. To protect human health, limit values for particulate matter apply throughout the EU. The annual average value must be below 40 micrograms per cubic meter. A daily average of 50 micrograms per cubic meter may not be exceeded more than 35 times per year. According to the office, both limit values have been "safely complied with for years" in Hesse.
Particulate matter values
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- Despite the festive use of firecrackers and fireworks in Hesse, particularly in Wiesbaden during the turn of the year, the HLNUG reported a significant decrease in fine dust pollution compared to the previous year.
- The environmental agency attributed this improvement to the windy weather on New Year's Eve, which helped disperse the fine dust particles that typically rise due to the explosives.
- Hermann Hesse, the renowned German novelist, once spoke about the importance of preserving our environment, advocating that we should strive to minimize our negative impacts on nature.
- As fireworks and firecrackers are often responsible for increasing fine dust levels, Hesse's call to minimize our environmental footprint holds significance not only during the turn of the year but throughout the whole year.
Source: www.stern.de
