Moldova and Romania are holding discussions on the initiation of a project to monitor the quality of air. Within the project, real-time air quality monitoring stations will be built in the municipalities of Balti and Chisinau and in Cahul town, which are the most crowded areas of Moldova.

Head of the Air Quality and Environment Radioactivity Monitoring Center Violeta Balan has told IPN that the Romanian side will offer assistance in installing the monitoring equipment. The data will be updated permanently and will be compared with those in other European towns.

“When the level of pollutants in the air changes, the population will be informed about this in real time. It’s important to have the equipment needed to monitor the quality of air. The equipment will be purchased with financial support from Romania. It’s not known yet what amounts will be allocated,” stated Violeta Balan.

According to her, the quality of air is a serious problem, especially in the warm period of the year. The exhaust emissions represent 90% of the pollution sources. The concentrations of noxious particles affect the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. The concentrations of heavy metals in the air, which are now not monitored owing to the lack of equipment, also pose a threat.

Violeta Balan said three air quality monitoring stations are needed in Chisinau – in the area with the heaviest traffic, in an industrialized area and in a green area, for comparison. Samples of air are now collected manually and then examined in labs.

An air quality monitoring station costs about €200,000.