Protecting Children from Pollution
Recently, in Romania, the NGO Center for Sustainable Policies Ecopolis, measured the effects of polluted air on Bucharest residents
Christine Leșcu, 13.06.2023, 01:45
Pollution seriously affects human health. This is already a well-known and documented fact, that both the WHO and other international bodies have been warning about for many years. Recently, in Romania, the NGO Center for Sustainable Policies Ecopolis, measured the effects of polluted air on Bucharest residents, and the results are extremely alarming: over 2,800 deaths caused by long-term exposure to PM2.5 particles, particles responsible and for more than 540 deaths of people suffering from ischemic heart disease, while 5.6% of infant deaths were caused by PM10 microparticle pollution. The measurement was possible thanks to the sensors installed in most Bucharest neighborhoods, sensors belonging to the Aerlive civic network. Placed in key areas of the city, the sensors transmit the level of particulate matter emissions, and warn when their legal limit is exceeded. The results can be seen on any digital map available on the aerlive.ro website. The coordinator of Aerlive and the executive director of Ecopolis, Oana Neneciu, details the operation of the network:
“At the moment we have more than 40 air quality monitoring sensors integrated into the map in the application. We monitor suspended particles, i.e. dust particles loaded with various substances taken from the atmosphere, from the road, from everywhere around us. And these sensors send real-time data to the Aerlive map. We are now very focused on measuring the air quality around schools in Bucharest. Together with the capitals City Hall, this spring we installed 44 new sensors near schools and hospitals in Bucharest. In addition to these sensors, we have another 12 that we are also installing in the communities in Bucharest and Ilfov, through our project Action for clean air. By the end of the year, we will have more than 100 sensors integrated into the map and, we hope, even better data on particulate matter pollution.”
Air monitoring around schools has become a necessity, also as a result of measurements made by Aerlive sensors. The report on air quality in Bucharest 2021-2022, also carried out by Ecopolis, finds that the legal limit for PM10 and PM2.5 pollution is frequently exceeded around educational institutions. For example, the aerlive.ro monitoring stations in schools recorded values up to 4 times higher than the allowed limit, which endangers the health of students. That is why even more careful monitoring was required. Oana Neneciu explains.
“We thought that, at the level of schools and hospitals, and in general the road infrastructure, which is very vulnerable to pollution, we can find specific solutions to reduce pollution in those areas. The speed limit for cars on all adjacent streets should be reduced below 30 kilometers per hour. Certain streets should even be closed when children arrive in school. And thats why were running the Turn off the engine campaign, a project were running together with the Parents of the Cherry Tree Climbers Association, and which we believe could be very effective.“
By co-opting the Aerlive network, Turn off the engine not only helps to better monitor the air, but also helps to inform parents about the noxious emissions of their own cars right next to their childrens schools. Oana Neneciu:
“In most large European cities with air quality problems, it is illegal to park with the engine running for more than 3 minutes. So it is something already legislated. This is not happening here yet. And then we started from this evidence that we all notice around schools. Parents, when they come to drop off their children or pick them up, stop with the engine running, waiting for them, for 20 minutes. For the most part, I dont think people are aware of the pollution that comes from this behavior, are not aware that theyre around a school where kids are playing outside, where kids are inhaling all those noxes, and therefore are not reacting. And then we thought that the first solution we can undertake is to put some information boards near schools to urge parents to turn off the engine when parking. In addition to this physical campaign that we want to run in all schools in Bucharest, we will also have a proposal for a decision by the city General Council to prohibit parking with the engine running.”
During the summer, this campaign will stop temporarily, along with the installation of environmental sensors, but everything will resume in the fall. Until then, the people of Bucharest and Cluj will be able to find out the level of pollution in their cities by installing the free Aerlive application on their phone.
