Towers with equipment for advanced air quality monitoring to be installed in Mykolaiv region
- News of Mykolaiv
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- Alona Kokhanchuk
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11:12, 18 December, 2025
Towers for advanced air quality monitoring to be installed in Mykolaiv region. Photo for illustration by NikVestiTwo towers with modern air quality monitoring equipment are to be installed in Mykolaiv region. The new systems will allow for more accurate and enhanced data on the state of the environment, particularly in the context of a full-scale war.
This was announced by Alla Riazhskykh, a deputy of the Mykolaiv Regional Council and chairman of the Standing Committee on Ecology, in a programme on the «MART» TV channel.
According to her, every year since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, experts have recorded a 5-6% deterioration in air quality. This is primarily due to the hostilities: explosions, fires and emissions of hazardous substances resulting from fires.
Alla Ryazhskikh noted that the available monitoring data does not always reflect the real situation. In particular, she expressed doubts about the accuracy of the indicators currently provided by the Mykolaiv Hydrometeorological Centre due to outdated equipment. That is why the region decided to invest in new measuring systems.
«I don't really trust the indicators provided by the Mykolaiv Hydrometeorological Centre. I think the equipment there is not very good. If you look at them (the indicators), we are doing well. But I think we're not quite there. That is why we have planned funding for the next year to install new equipment. We will install two towers. We are now looking for a place», said Alla Riazhskykh.
Experts are currently identifying locations for the two towers, which will be placed in different parts of the region. It is expected that the new systems will be able to analyse a wider range of indicators and provide more reliable information about the air quality.
«This will be new equipment that will analyse the state of the air and provide us with true results. There will be towers in each region. I think the equipment will be modern and provide a wider range of analytical information», adds Alla Riazhskykh.
In addition, according to the deputy, the regional department of ecology has agreed to support the UNDP development programme, which can finance the creation of the Environmental Information Centre in Mykolaiv region. Alla Riazhskykh notes that the idea of creating such a centre was discussed back in 2021, but its implementation was postponed due to the war. The environmental data obtained is planned to be published in the public domain.
«We will receive environmental data, post it on available resources and have a basis to draw certain conclusions about the direction to move in», adds the head of the environmental commission.
It is worth reminding that formaldehyde has been the main air pollutant in Mykolaiv for many years.
Journalists from NikVesti investigated what formaldehyde is, why its levels are growing, and how to reduce its impact on health. Read about it in the explorer: «What is the air like in Mykolaiv and how does formaldehyde affect health? We explain».
Air quality is also deteriorating due to fires. For example, in 2022-2023, 5.5 million tonnes of pollutants were released into the atmosphere on the Kinburn Spit.
Many harmful substances are also released into the air because people burn leaves without thinking about the consequences. Read more about why you shouldn't burn leaves and how it harms your health in the article NikVesti.
This material has been produced within the project “Support for Ukrainian Media Survival,” implemented by the NGO Mykolaiv Media Hub in partnership with Internews Europe with the financial support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) as part of Swedish development assistance. The content is the sole responsibility of the NGO Mykolaiv Media Hub and does not necessarily reflect the official views of Sida, Sweden, or Internews Europe.
