site.btaResidential Sector Is Leading Air Polluter in Sofia, Study Finds

About half of the air pollution in Sofia is caused by the residential sector, show data in the  Urban PM2.5 Atlas study of the air quality in European cities by the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC).

The majority of particles with a diametre of 2.5% in the capital of Bulgaria and in Plovdiv are emitted from the central parts of the city, while in Burgas and Varna the sources of pollution are more likely to be associated with the cross-border regions, said the JRC in a press release. The study included and analyzed data for four Bulgarian cities : Burgas, Varna, Plovdiv and Sofia.

Thanks to an updated dataset and methodology, the latest edition of the Atlas indicated the sectors and extent of air pollution in 150 European cities. For most of them, tackling local sources of emissions, for example residential heating or road transport, can effectively improve air quality. At the same time, taking action at national or EU level would also be very effective in terms of emissions from agriculture.

The study is based on data from SHERPA (Screening for High Emission Reduction Potential on Air), an open-access assessment tool developed by the JRC that can test a large number of scenarios for each European city.

Many European cities suffer from poor air quality that is outside the 2021 WHO and European standards, the JRC analysis found. As the health risks are mainly due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the aim of the authors of the Atlas is to determine the extent to which action can be taken to affect air pollution in view of the objectives of the EY Zero Pollution Action Plan.