The Ministry of Environment and Water has been telling the public for years that the air measurement system in Sofia was compromised and was not reporting pollution correctly, even though it had data on it. Meanwhile, thousands of the city's residents suffered, and some of them probably died prematurely, from diseases related to the polluted air.
Scandalous information becomes public knowledge after won by Ecological Association "For the Earth" case for access to public information (No. 4667/2024 according to the inventory of the Administrative Court, Sofia), with which the organization demanded the publication of the results of a report on the conditions for the location of the air quality control points in the country, prepared already in 2022 by order of the then Minister of the Environment. For inexplicable reasons, this key information was withheld from the public for so long.
Two measuring stations in Sofia do not meet the requirements
According to the expert assessments in the report, which was already ready in the same year, the Mladost and Pavlovo automatic measuring stations, which are the two transport-oriented automatic measuring stations in Sofia, do not meet the requirements because they are located far from the roadway. Thus, they show a lower than actual level of nitrogen dioxide pollution. NO₂ is among the most socially significant air pollutants in cities on a European scale and probably the most important originating from transport.
"It is important for the health of every resident of Sofia and for the economy of the city to fix the gaps in the air monitoring system as quickly as possible. This should become transparent and with the participation of citizens. The issue of responsibility is also key. The relevant authorities should also look for those responsible for the cynical concealment of this information and investigate the actions bordering on a crime against public health", pointed out Ivaylo Popov from For the Earth.
Clear indications
For years, there have been clear indications in Sofia that there are irregularities in the location and scope of the air monitoring system. Long-term and short-term measurements by "For the Earth" showed the presence of nitrogen dioxide pollution hidden from the official monitoring system, and in many more places in the city than suspected. The data was also confirmed by an international team led by one of Europe's leading experts in the field, Dr. Axel Friedrich.
The problems of the official air measurement system in Sofia are technical, but on the other hand, they are also due to actions of the administration, including the relocation of the traffic measurement station from one of the most key intersections of the city, Orlov Most, to the yard of NIMH in Mladost, which is practically a park. Thus, the station is located, according to data from the report, 65 meters from the nearest curb. This is more than 6 times further than official requirements for correct measurement (at most 10 m distance from the road).
"The reason for moving the measuring station from Orlov Most years ago was a nearby renovation related to the construction of the metro station of the same name. However, we believe that the reasons why it did not return to its place after that are related to the reluctance of certain people in the responsible bodies, as well as certain politicians, to take concrete, sometimes initially unpopular measures against air pollution in the city from transport. The worst thing in this case, however, is that as long as there is no correct measurement of air pollution in Sofia, it cannot be expected that there will be any real measures to counteract the problems arising from it. We are standing in one place", said Ivaylo Popov.
The problem is too serious to ignore
The main source of air pollution with nitrogen dioxide in cities are cars with internal combustion engines, especially diesel ones. Even short-term exposures to high levels of nitrogen dioxide can worsen the health of people with respiratory conditions, especially asthma. Prolonged exposure to air with elevated concentrations of NO₂ , for example by people living next to or spending more time near busy roads, may contribute to the development of asthma and potentially increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, leading to structural changes in the lung even in healthy people. People with respiratory and cardiovascular problems, pregnant women, children and the elderly, former and current smokers are most at risk.
Against the background of these disturbing data, behind which are hidden personal suffering and material losses of the residents of the capital, the Ministry of Environment and Water did not even provide the full information from the report, but only a partial reference from it. The refusal is despite an effective court order on the subject. It comes amid ongoing efforts by the environmental organization to gain access to the information.
That's why "For the Earth" will demand an urgent meeting with the Minister of Environment and Water and the taking of concrete measures to deal with the problem, as well as to seek responsibility from those responsible for the inaction at the administrative level.
Illegal measurements in other cities as well
In addition to the two automatic measuring stations in Sofia, problems also exist in a number of other cities, warns "For the Earth". For example, the automatic measuring station "Green wedge" in Stara Zagora also does not meet the requirements for a transport point according to the criterion of distance from the curb. The manual points "RIOSV" in Pazardzhik, "Church" in Pernik, "Gara Yana", "RIOSV" in Haskovo and "RIOSV" in Montana have also been evaluated as non-compliant with the legislation. An interesting case is the case with the manual station "RISV" in Veliko Tarnovo, for which already in 2015 and 2018 there was a file initiated by the municipality for its relocation, but this was not done. Years later, it is again recommended to change this point of measurement. The DAOS systems in the cities of Svishtov, Nikopol, Silistra and Burgas do not meet the height requirements according to the regulations.