Air quality at Knieperdamm: Fine dust alarm in Stralsund!

Air quality at Knieperdamm: Fine dust alarm in Stralsund!

Today, June 21, 2025, the air quality in Stralsund-Knieperdamm shows that the issues of fine dust, nitrogen dioxide and ozone are once again very popular. The measuring station in the area records the fine dust particles (PM10) per cubic meter of air every day. The limit value for PM10 is 50 particles per cubic meter, although this value may be exceeded up to 35 times per year. A look at the current values ​​shows that air quality is assessed based on three values: fine dust, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. While the limits for these pollutants are divided into categories – from “very bad” to “very good” – the health impact on the population is also of great importance.

As the Baltic Sea newspaper reported, the following limit values ​​apply: For the “very poor” range, the values ​​are over 200 μg/m³ for nitrogen dioxide, over 100 μg/m³ for fine dust and over 240 μg/m³ for ozone. Sensitive people should avoid physical exertion outdoors if the air quality is very poor. If the air is classified as “poor”, you should reduce your efforts, while if it is “moderate”, no short-term health effects are expected, but in particularly sensitive groups. In the EU, air pollution demands our attention more than ever, with 240,000 premature deaths every year due to particulate matter.

EU plans new limits for better air quality

In a further step to improve air quality in Europe, the EU Commission has proposed new and stricter limit values ​​for various pollutants. These are based on the updated 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Like that Federal Environment Agency informed, the new limit values ​​should come into force by 2030. This is a long-awaited measure because the latest limits date from a time when air quality did not meet today's standards. The new directive was adopted on February 20, 2024 during negotiations between the European Parliament and the European Council, but its agreement is not yet official.

Air pollution is one of the biggest threats to health in Germany and Europe. It promotes chronic diseases, including heart attacks and respiratory diseases. While Germany recently violated old EU limits, politicians now indicate that rapid measures must be taken to improve the population's quality of life. However, there is agreement that the new limit values ​​fall short of the WHO recommendations.

High numbers speak for themselves

Like a report from the daily news brings the urgency of air pollution control further into focus. With over 300,000 deaths in the EU in 2021 due to air pollution alone, the importance of effective measures is once again clear. Even though Germany has had some successes in keeping air clean, the country is crucially dependent on compliance with the new limit values. It is even being discussed that citizens will be entitled to compensation in the future if they suffer health problems due to non-compliance.

In summary, we can say that we are facing major challenges in Stralsund and throughout Europe. The health of the population must be the top priority at all times, and the upcoming changes in the limit values ​​could play a significant role in this. We must not lose sight of developments and must demand that these measures actually take effect.