Questions and Answers

Air is a mixture of gases surrounding the Earth, consisting mainly of nitrogen (about 78%), oxygen (about 21%) and other gases such as carbon dioxide, argon and trace amounts of other gases. It is essential for the life of many organisms, including humans.

The main air pollutants include particulate matter, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, ammonia, heavy metals and volatile organic compounds. Vehicles, industry, biomass burning and natural processes such as volcanic eruptions are the main sources of these pollutants.

Air quality refers to the extent to which air is clean or polluted. It is assessed on the basis of the concentration of various pollutants in the air that can affect human health, ecosystems and climate.

Air pollution is the presence of chemical or physical substances in the air that are harmful to human, animal and ecosystem health. Effects include respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, effects on plant growth and environmental degradation.

Processes that affect air quality include emissions from industry, transport, agriculture, natural processes (e.g. volcanic eruptions, forest fires) and chemical reactions in the atmosphere.

In Poland, smog and air quality monitoring is mainly handled by the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (GIOŚ), which manages a network of automatic air quality monitoring stations located in various parts of the country.

The network of air quality monitoring stations consists of measurement points that measure concentrations of various pollutants such as PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter, sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3), carbon dioxide (CO2) and other substances.

The Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection uses the Index of Air Quality (IJP), which is an indicator for air quality. This index is calculated on the basis of measurements of various pollutants and classifies air quality as very good, good, moderate, sufficient, poor or very poor.

Activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, industrial emissions, deforestation, intensive agriculture and urbanisation contribute to air pollution and climate change.

Climate change can lead to an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and heat waves, which in turn affect air quality. Rising temperatures also contribute to increased smog problems.

Air quality monitoring is crucial for assessing the impact of pollutants on human health and the environment, and for developing strategies to improve air quality and protect public health.

Air quality has a direct impact on the health of all people. Polluted air is a risk factor for many diseases, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and can also affect the development of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.