A Way to Clean Air – Then and Now

How many harmful substances are we emitting into the atmosphere in Poland? We are often bombarded with figures about carbon dioxide emissions, but this is a greenhouse gas. What directly affects our health and harms the environment are pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and fine particulate matter such as PM10 and PM2.5.

Judging by complaints about air quality and alarming articles, it may seem that the air quality in Poland is severely lacking. Indeed, there is still much to be done in this field. However, the improvement is significant. Emissions of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere have been consistently decreasing, primarily due to investments in industry, filters, and more efficient technologies. Unfortunately, despite campaigns promoting the replacement of stoves and raising awareness, progress in households has been much slower.

Let’s look at the data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS) for the years 2008–2021 concerning the most significant pollutants: nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5). After analyzing their impact on the environment and human health, and converting this into a common denominator by monetizing the negative effects (in zlotys per kilogram of substance introduced into the atmosphere), the situation looks as follows: according to the announcement from the Minister of Climate and Environment, particulate matter—depending on its source—is between 1,205 and 4,923 times more harmful than greenhouse gas CO2, while both oxides are each 1,795 times more undesirable. In total, 1.75 million tons of these pollutants were emitted into the atmosphere in 2021. Fourteen years earlier, it was 2.62 million tons. This means a decrease of exactly one-third.

Previously, we could indeed blame industrial polluters. They were responsible for 72% of emissions. But industry has done its part, and overall emissions have dropped by 43%. Today, households are responsible for 39% of the mentioned four types of pollutants. In terms of PM2.5 emissions, households emit three times more than industry, and for PM10, it is 1.6 times more. Worse still, homes and apartments produce over 200,000 tons of pollutants annually, and little has changed in this regard. A longer and harsher winter always takes its toll.

Nevertheless, pollutant levels visible on Poland’s air quality maps are steadily improving, although not everywhere. There are still municipalities where life is difficult.

Fortunately, there are solutions even for what has already been emitted. One of them is Pamares, our air ionization system that attracts electrified particles. It addresses not only pollution from burning low-quality fuel in outdated stoves but also pollution from transportation. When installed on streetlights or as standalone installations, it reduces the concentration of all PM fractions by several dozen percent in an area of 150 square meters around it. And since air quality standards will tighten in the coming years, it’s worth preparing for this now.