The air pollution level in Chisinau was determined to be high. On December 23 and 24, the average daily air quality index (PM10) was 2.4 times higher, IPN reports, quoting the Ministry of Environment and the Environment Agency.

According to data obtained from the air quality monitoring station, a high of 121.36 microgram/m3 for particulate matter with the diameter of 10 micrometers (PM10 mcM) was recorded on December 24 at a time when the limit is 50 mcg/m3. The situation was due to the weather conditions, the intense vehicle traffic and also the smoke and soot from home heating.

Solutions are being looked for to reduce the air pollution level. According to the director of the Environment Agency Gavril Gîlca, the traffic police should become involved and ease traffic by redirecting this away from the most crowded streets of Chisinau. In the case of unfavorable meteorological conditions, the business entities that are the biggest pollutants are obliged to switch over to a shortened work regime, primarily at rush hour.

The Ministry of Environment warns the business community, civil society and the population about the necessity of complying with the environmental legislation and of making effort to minimize environmental pollution by modernizing technology, automating production, using vapors and smoke to heat spaces through a closed circuit, etc.

The first online air quality monitoring station in Moldova was launched in Chisinau in June. The station measures primarily pollution influenced by emissions from vehicles with software, gas analyzers and consumables included.