Moldova included in study for mapping air's pollution

Chisinau, 10 February /MOLDPRES/ - A study for mapping the air’s pollution in Chisinau and all over the country, by using Earth observation data, has been carried out in Moldova for the first time ever, in partnership with the European Space Agency. The study was made on the period of establishing the restriction measures in the context of COVID-19; yet, it also covers sets of complex historic data (starting from 2017).     

The study allowed estimating the impact of COVID-19 on the air’s pollution and assessed to what extent the restrictions were accompanied by lower levels of atmospheric pollution, especially in the dense urban and industrial zones.   

The research team used data got via satellite, provided by Sentinel 5P  - based on the latest technology, endowed with the newest equipment for atmospheric measurements, in order to analyze the main atmospheric pollutants: ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), particulates (PM10 and PM 2.5).  

According to the study’s findings, on the whole, the level of air pollution in Moldova, seen from the space, is relatively low as compared to other European countries and our neighbours, being, to a great extent, within the limits of the Air Quality Guidelines of the World Health Organization.

Also, the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide are, in general, low. High levels were registered in Chisinau and its suburbs, in the area of border with Ukraine, especially where the Kuchurgan power station is placed, as well as in the region of Tiraspol and Rabnita cities. The zones of the Chisinau, Bender and Balti cities have the highest average levels of pollution with nitrogen dioxide.     

The values of the sulphur dioxide are, in general, low all over Moldova, with a modest growth only nearby the capital. According to the study, the quantity of sulphur dioxide in the air reaches maximal levels during winter, usually increasing 5-10-fold against the summer period, because of the heating season. As for the impact on the health, a short exposing to a high concentration of sulphur dioxide can trigger serious respiratory difficulties, while the long-lasting exposing to a low concentration can lead to infections of the respiratory ways.   

‘’The distribution of carbon monoxide is relatively similar in all Moldova. At the same time, the highest average concentrations are registered in the settlements Bender, Cahul, Glodeni and Chisinau. The pollution in the Cahul zone is explained by the presence of the biggest Romanian iron and steel works (in Galati) in the immediate neighbourhood,’’ the study reads.  

The study titled, Impact of COVID-19 on the quality of air in Ukraine and Moldova, was worked out by World from Space for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2020, at the Institute for Earth Observation of the European Space Agency. The principal source of data was the mission Sentinel-5P (S5P), which is presently the most accurate satellite on orbit, dedicated to monitoring the atmosphere.    

photo: UNDP Moldova