POVZETEK

Onesnaženost zraka predstavlja težavo in obenem izziv, s katerim se soočamo na svetovni ravni. Zaradi negativnega vpliva na zdravje ljudi je onesnaženost zraka tematika, ki vztrajno pridobiva na pomembnosti. Za razumevanje tematike in izvedbo aktivnosti, ki bi pripomogle k zmanjševanju onesnaženosti zraka, je treba nasloviti glavne vire onesnaževanja, kot so npr. industrija, promet, ogrevanje. Ne glede na dejstvo, da se onesnaženost zraka na letni ravni znižuje, je treba poskrbeti, da tako ostane tudi v prihodnje. Obdobje pandemije COVID-19 predstavlja časovno obdobje začasne ustavitve oziroma večjega zmanjšanja aktivnosti številnih gospodarstev in obenem priložnost za opazovanje sprememb v onesnaženosti zraka.

Analizirana so tri onesnaževala, in sicer dušikov dioksid (NO2), delci PM10 in delci PM2,5, v obdobju od januarja do maja 2020, s poudarkom na obdobju pandemije COVID-19, ki so primerjana z istim obdobjem leta 2019. Izbrana opazovana mesta so: Ljubljana, München in London. V prvem delu so predstavljena omenjena onesnaževala in glavni viri onesnaževanja, skupaj z njihovo povezanostjo z zdravjem ljudi. Poleg tega so omenjene študije na temo onesnaževanja zraka ter načrti in cilji v zvezi s tem na ravni Slovenije in EU. V empiričnem delu so preko tabel in grafikonov predstavljene analize podatkov, ki so bili pridobljeni iz Evropske agencije za okolje ter Agencije Republike Slovenije za okolje, ter podane opisne ugotovitve. Pri teh so uporabljeni tudi vremenski podatki za obrazložitev gibanja števila delcev PM10 in PM2,5.

Preko analize podatkov je bilo ugotovljeno, da v izbranih mestih med obdobjem pandemije COVID-19 ni prihajalo do visoke onesnaženosti zraka. Koeficient dušikovega dioksida se je v Ljubljani in Londonu znižal za okoli 50 %, v Münchnu se ta ni bistveno spremenil. V Münchnu se število delcev PM10 ni opazneje znižalo, nasprotno so bile spremembe opaznejše v Londonu. Na podatke za Ljubljano je vplival tudi pojav saharskega prahu, zaradi katerega se je število delcev PM10 v določenem obdobju povečalo za okoli 205 %. V Münchnu se število delcev PM2,5 ni opazneje znižalo. V Londonu se je onesnaženost zraka zmanjšala, saj se je število delcev PM2,5 znižalo. V Ljubljani se je v začetku leta 2020 število delcev PM2,5 zvišalo za okoli 45 %, nato je sledilo zvišanje za okoli 217 %.

Med obdobjem pandemije COVID-19 se je onesnaženost zraka v vseh opazovanih mestih zmanjšala, kar izhaja tudi iz analize podatkov, povezanih z zmanjšanjem industrijske proizvodnje in letalskega prometa. Na podlagi omenjenih rezultatov lahko zaključimo, da človeška aktivnost močno vpliva na onesnaženost zraka, zaradi česar je ključnega pomena razumevanje pomembnosti tematike in izvedba nadaljnjih aktivnosti, ki bodo pripomogle k zmanjševanju onesnaženosti zraka na svetovni ravni.

Ključne besede: dušikov dioksid, NO2, delci PM10, delci PM2,5, pandemija COVID-19, onesnaževala, onesnaženost zraka, kakovost zraka

ABSTRACT

Air pollution represents an issue but at the same time a challenge we are facing with on a global scale. Due to its negative impact on human health, the topic of air pollution is becoming more and more important. In order to understand the topic and perform activities that would help reduce air pollution, it is necessary to address the main sources of pollution, such as industry, transport, heating. Regardless of the fact that air pollution is decreasing on an annual basis, it is necessary to ensure that it remains so in the future. The COVID-19 pandemic represents a time period during which activities of many economies stopped or were reduced significantly, but at the same time an opportunity to observe the changes in air pollution.

Three pollutants were analysed, namely nitrogen dioxide (NO2), PM10 particles and PM2.5 particles, in the period from January to May 2020, focusing on the period of COVID-19 pandemic, compared with the same period in 2019. Selected cities for observation are: Ljubljana, Munich and London. The theoretical part explains the previously mentioned pollutants and the main sources of pollution, together with their link to human health. In addition, studies on the topic of air pollution are mentioned, as well as plans and goals with this regard in Slovenia and in the EU. In the empirical part, data obtained from the European Environment Agency and the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, together with analysis results are presented in tables and graphs, in combination with respective descriptive findings. Weather data were also used to explain the changes in the number of PM10 and PM2.5 particles.

By analysing the data, it was recognised that the air pollution was not high in the mentioned cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nitrogen dioxide ratio decreased by around 50 % in Ljubljana and London, but did not change significantly in Munich. In Munich, the number of PM10 particles did not decrease significantly, on the contrary, the changes were more noticeable in London. The data for Ljubljana were also affected by the presence of Saharan dust, due to which the number of PM10 particles increased by around 205 % in a certain period. In Munich, the number of PM2.5 particles did not decrease significantly, while in London air pollution decreased together with the decrease of number of PM2.5 particles. In Ljubljana, at the beginning of 2020, the number of PM2.5 particles increased by about 45 %, followed by an increase of about 217 %.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the air pollution in observed cities decreased, which is also supported by the data analysis related to the reduction of industrial production and aviation traffic. Based on these results, we can conclude that the human activity has a strong impact on air pollution, which is why it is crucial to understand the importance of this topic and perform further activities that would help reduce air pollution worldwide.

Keywords: nitrogen dioxide, NO2, PM10 particles, PM2.5 particles, COVID-19 pandemic, pollutants, air pollution, air quality