Environment Eastern Switzerland's air still contains too much carcinogenic soot
Air quality in eastern Switzerland, Zurich, Graubünden and the Principality of Liechtenstein improved slightly last year. The Swiss limit values for ozone, ammonia and carcinogenic soot were exceeded on a large scale according to the air quality monitoring of the eastern Swiss cantons.
12.07.2024, 15:06
SDA
Nitrogen oxide pollution improved in 2023 compared to the previous year. This was reported recently by Ostluft, the air quality monitoring organization of the cantons of Eastern Switzerland, in a press release. However, the values for nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and ozone, measured against the World Health Organization's (WHO) air quality guidelines, were "significantly" exceeded. The WHO limit values are generally lower than those currently applicable in Switzerland.
Looking back over several decades, it can be seen that political measures to keep the air clean on the part of the federal government and cantons have led to a significant improvement in air quality. "However, additional efforts are needed to protect health according to the current state of knowledge and to continue to meet the protection requirements of the Environmental Protection Act," Ostluft continued. Measured against WHO guideline values, at least 82 percent of the population in the Ostluft area is exposed to air pollution that is harmful to health.
Improvements in agriculture
According to the press release, Ostluft assumes that air quality will continue to improve in the coming years. Vehicles powered by diesel or petrol will increasingly be replaced by electric cars. In agriculture, the main source of ammonia pollution, the use of emission-reducing techniques for spreading liquid manure has also been prescribed by law.
Ostluft is the joint air quality monitoring system of the eastern Swiss cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Ausserrhoden, St. Gallen, Thurgau, Schaffhausen, Glarus, Zurich, the Principality of Liechtenstein and parts of the canton of Graubünden. The monitoring network currently comprises 18 continuously measuring stations.
