Central Asian dust masses causing solid particles in air in parts of Georgia - Environmental Agency
The body confirmed the particles had been observed in air monitoring in some regions across the country and in capital Tbilisi. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Dust masses from a Central Asian region are responsible for a rise in the concentration of solid particles in air in some parts of Georgia, the National Environmental Agency said on Wednesday.
The body confirmed the particles had been observed in air monitoring in some regions across the country and in capital Tbilisi.
It said professionals from the Agency were studying the causes for the development, but added the phenomenon was mainly related to transboundary pollution, and most likely caused by dust masses from the Karakum Desert in Central Asia.
The body’s comments also said transboundary pollution was recorded “on certain days” annually, and added it was ensuring continued monitoring of air quality via its automatic stations located across the country.
Hot and mostly rainless weather will remain across Georgia until Sunday, the National Environmental Agency warned the public on Monday.
Tests conducted by the National Environmental Agency (NEA) on 21 January show the concentration of four pollutants in the atmosphere in Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi to be within normal levels, except for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and solid particle (PM10) concentrations.
Georgia’s National Agency of Environment has reported based on the latest data of the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the air pollution in the country equals the average air pollution levels of Eastern European countries.
A recent study by the National Environmental Agency (NEA) shows that most air pollutants are within the normal range in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi.
The Government of Georgia has approved a plan for managing atmospheric air quality in the Central Zone of the country for 2023-2025, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced on Wednesday. The Ministry said the zone was one of six areas designated for the monitoring, with the others comprising the Black Sea, Western, Eastern and Highland zones and the Tbilisi Agglomeration.
Nino Tandilashvili, Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection, on Thursday announced nine new monitoring stations would be installed across the country to improve air quality monitoring.