Georgian Environmental Agency releases report on air pollution in cities

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.

The concentration of nitrogen dioxide observed on Tsereteli Avenue in Tbilisi was found to be 1.4 times higher than the annual average. On Abuseridze Street in Batumi, the NO2 concentration was 1.6 times higher than the annual average", NEA reports.

Air quality is a continual subject of concern for the residents of Georgia, especially in cities.

The solid particle (PM10) concentration was observed to be 1.3 times higher than the annual average on Tsereteli Avenue, Tbilisi, 1.1 times the annual average on Kazbegi Avenue, Tbilisi, and 1.1 times the annual average in Batumi", reports show.

Group of volunteers measured the volume of lead particles in the air in four locations of Tbilisi last week.  The samples were sent to the laboratory. The results showed that the concentration of lead in Tbilisi is less than maximum allowable level and is not hazardous to human health.

The latest report of WHO - Health Statistics 2018 says that Georgia ranks 70th among 194 countries by the indicator of mortality due to air pollution. Previously the country had ranked 4th by the same indicator due to outdated data used by the researchers, the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture says.

Air quality monitoring is a priority for the NEA, and it is carried out continuously. An online air quality information portal is currently being developed where the public will be able to get daily real-time information about air quality.