09 April 2020
09.04.2020 - The isolation measures, movement restrictions, and other measures taken by the Government of Kosovo to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have also resulted in a decrease in road traffic and other economic activities. This has led to a reduction in air pollution for some parameters, especially those related to road transport. Data from the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA), coming from the air quality monitoring system managed by the Hydrometeorological Institute of Kosovo, show a decrease in the concentrations of certain air pollutants, particularly the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is mainly due to the reduction in traffic and other similar activities.
Data from IHMK from monitoring stations indicate a decrease in pollution levels of up to 50% in some urban areas compared to the same period last year.
For example, these measurements show that in Prishtina, at the IHMK measuring station, the average NO2 concentrations for the month of March this year were 18.3 µg/m³, compared to 43.5 µg/m³ in March of last year.
Meanwhile, at the measuring station near the Rilindja building, the average NO2 concentrations for March this year were 26 µg/m³, compared to 47.8 µg/m³ in March of last year.
Decreases in NO2 concentration levels have also been recorded in other urban areas of Kosovo.
Thus, during the month of March in the year 2020, the average NO2 levels in Gjilan were 18.8 µg/m3, compared to 35.2 µg/m3 in March of the previous year, in Drenas 11.5 µg/m3 compared to 16.7 µg/m3 of the previous year, in Han i Elezit 17 µg/m3, compared to 61.3 µg/m3 from March of the previous year, and in Obiliq 22 µg/m3 compared to 24.2 µg/m3 in the same period of the previous year.
Decreases in concentration have also been recorded for other parameters such as PM2.5 and PM10, whose concentration in the air is also associated with transport activities.
It should be noted that in this analysis, meteorological parameters for the two months for which the measurement results were analyzed have not been taken into consideration.
For more
Monthly report March 2020 and Monthly report March 2019