The level of the air pollution in Skopje during October and November of 2021 was lower compared to the same period in 2020. Concerning the PM 10 and PM 2.5 particles during this past autumn, there is a trend of their decline, while the carbon monoxide and the nitric oxide were within the normal limits. The scope of the air quality assessment in Skopje has increased and, as a result, the measuring stations of the Ministry of Living Environment and Physical Planning now are collecting data about PM 2.5 particles from measuring stations in Gazi Baba, Lisiche and the Rectorate as well.
Still, the increased number of measuring stations throughout Skopje is showing enormous differences among the dangerous concentrations of PM 2.5 particles in the air. The maximum allowed concentration of these particles in the air is 25 µg/m3, and these are the most hazardous for people’s health. Their measuring at 5 different locations throughout Skopje is showing that Centar and Karposh have the lowest concentration of PM 2.5 particles, while Lisiche is by far the most dangerous location for the people when it comes to this type of pollution.
During October 2021, the measuring center in Centar, during a period of 9 days saw the rise of the maximum allowed PM 2.5 concentrations, while in Karposh there were only 2 days of these levels of dangerous pollution in October. Unlike these locations, the measuring station in Lisiche has evidenced 21 days in October with higher values than 25 µg/m3. Also, at the Rectorate 17 days were evidenced with concentrations above the allowed limits, while in Gazi Baba during October there were 15 days with concentrations above the allowed limits.
A month later, in November 2021, the measuring station in Centar has registered 13 days of PM 2.5 concentrations above the allowed limits, while in Karposh such rises were noticed only during 2 days out of the whole month. Contrary to this, the measuring station in Lisiche registered 29 out of 30 days with concentrations above the allowed limits of PM 2.5 particles. At the Rectorate such rise of the air pollution was registered during 26 days of the month, while in Gazi Baba such concentrations were registered during 22 days of November.
These drastic differences in the PM 2.5 levels of pollution at various locations in Skopje cannot be compared to previous years, since there were only stations for measuring this kind of air pollution, at locations in Karposh and Centar.
