Mykolaiv took first place in Ukraine in terms of formaldehyde air pollution last year

Air pollution, illustrative photo

In 2023, Mykolaiv recorded the highest concentration of formaldehyde in the air among Ukrainian cities.

This is stated in the material of the environmental organization SaveDnipro «Which cities are poisoned by formaldehyde?», write NikVesti.

Formaldehyde is a carcinogen and one of the most dangerous air pollutants. In Ukraine, the average daily maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of formaldehyde is set at the level of 0.003 mg/m3. The EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) estimates that if a person continuously breathes air containing formaldehyde at an average concentration of 0.008 mg/m3 (i.e., about 2.5 MAC) over a lifetime, theoretically they have no more than a one in ten chance of thousands get cancer. That is, it is up to 100 cases of cancer per 1 million inhabitants.

Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kremenchuk, Lviv, Kamianske, Kryvyi Rih and Cherkasy are the cities in which average daily concentrations are often higher than 2.5 MPC. That is, the health risk in these cities will be higher.

Air quality in Mykolaiv, schedule of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center for 2023.

The colored bars on the graph show the average daily concentration of formaldehyde in the air. If the indicator is within the normal range, the column is green. When an exceedance occurs, the bar will be yellow, orange, or red depending on the amount of the exceedance.

Air quality in Odesa, schedule of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center for 2023.

Air quality in the Dnipro, schedule of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center for 2023.

Air quality in Kyiv, schedule of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center for 2023.

Where does the danger come from?

The main anthropogenic sources of formaldehyde are thermal power plants, thermal power plants, industrial enterprises, waste incineration plants and internal combustion engines of cars. Formaldehyde is also formed as a result of photochemical reactions of other pollutants that are present in the atmosphere, that is, high background pollution contributes to its increase.

The concentration of formaldehyde in the surface layer of the air increases under certain weather conditions. That is why in some cities we see characteristic pollution peaks in the third quarter of 2023, when such weather conditions occurred more often.

Air quality in Mykolaiv

In 2023, Mykolaiv took fourth place in the ranking of Ukrainian cities with the most polluted air.

As early as 2020, the air quality index in Mykolaiv reached a level harmful to humans. The largest polluters of atmospheric air in 2021 were the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant, the Yugcement enterprise, and the Mykolaivgaz gas transportation system operator.

In general, the situation with the biggest air pollutants in Mykolaiv Oblast remains unchanged from year to year. According to 2018 data, Mykolaiv Alumina Plant, Yugcement and Mykolaivgaz were also the biggest air polluters in the region.