Harsh winter
The amount of sulfur dioxide in the air also peaks during the winter. The values increase five to ten times compared to summer all across Moldova.
Sentinel-5P mission (S5P) is currently the most precise satellite in orbit devoted to atmosphere monitoring. It was launched in October 2017 as part of the EU Copernicus Programme. It carries the TROPOMI spectrometer measuring concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and atmospheric aerosols with daily global coverage and a resolution of about 5.5 km x 3.5 km.
To find out, let's look at what the whole archive of Sentinel 5P satellite data can reveal about air pollution in Moldova and its regions. We will focus on the three main pollutants described below.
Key atmospheric pollutant produced by cars, coal power plants, oil and metal refining.
Pollutant mostly connected to coal-fired power stations, industrial processes or other fossil fuel burning activities.
A product of incomplete combustion in vehicles, heating, coal power generation, coke and steel industry.
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different information
There is one last important note before we show you the most and the least polluted regions in Moldova. When looking at the results, keep in mind that satellites give you a different perspective than ground measurements. While ground measurements usually represent air pollution only at one spot on the ground level, satellites measure the concentration of pollution from the ground to the atmosphere.
Therefore, red color in satellite pollution maps does not necessarily mean a dangerous concentration, but only its relatively high occurrence in the context of Moldova.
NO2 is a key atmospheric pollutant produced by human activities. Main sources are cars and trucks, petrol and metal refining, electricity generation from coal-fired power stations, other manufacturing industries and food processing.
There are three main hostpots of nitrogen dioxide pollution in Moldova:
Economically, the city is by far the most prosperous in the country and is also one of the main industrial centers and transport hubs in the region. To find out more about air pollution in Chișinău, please see the Urban Pulse Moldova.
Kuchurgan power station is the largest power station in Moldova, providing about 83% of Moldova's electricity. It burns natural gas, fuel oil and coal and it has an installed capacity of 2,520 MW. Moreover, the region is also polluted due to the presence of Moldova’s second largest city of Tiraspol.
Visible pollution near the city of Rybnitsa is most likely caused by the presence of the Moldova Steel Works factory. In 2018, it produced almost 502,900 tonnes of steel and 497,900 tonnes of rolled goods. It accounts for more than half of the Transnistrian industrial output.
Check the interactive graph to see the changes in pollution throughout the year. As you can see, NO2 pollution peaks during the winter time, when it doubles the summer levels.
Chişinău, Bender, Criuleni, Anenii Noi and Bălţi districts have the highest average pollution levels.
The amount of sulfur dioxide in the air also peaks during the winter. The values increase five to ten times compared to summer all across Moldova.
Concentrations of SO2 are very similar across Moldova. They are so low it is not possible to identify industrial hotspots.
Leova, Hîncesti, Cantemir, Bălţi, Ialoveni and Ungheni districts show the highest mean levels of sulphur dioxide..
It is a product of incomplete combustion in vehicles, heating, coal power plants, waste disposal, and biomass burning. Approximately 40% of CO comes from natural sources like volcanic eruptions, emission of natural gases and forest fires, and 60% comes from human activities.
Satellite monitoring shows us how the amount of CO in the atmosphere directly relates to altitude. Generally speaking, the higher you are, the lesser CO emissions are present.
The distribution of CO is relatively similar across Moldova. Nevertheless, Bender, Cahul, Glodeni and Chişinău districts have the highest average concentrations.
Interestingly, the situation in the Cahul region is caused mainly by the presence of the largest Romanian steel mill (Galați steel works), just across the border.
However, low average regional values do not mean there might be local hotspots, where pollution levels are significantly higher. Moreover, other pollutants not observed by the Sentinel 5p satellite can severely affect human health. Only in-situ ground measurements are able to unveil such pollution. Improving air quality monitoring with sensor networks is therefore recommended as well as other actions summarized below.
Policies supporting the improvement of air quality should focus on four key areas:
Do you want to explore more data? Check our web application below. It enables you to check concentrations of different air pollutants across Moldova during the last 2 to 3 years from the Sentinel 5P satellite and the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
This story is based on the "COVID-19 Impact on Air Quality in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova", a study realized by World from Space for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) within the European Space Agency EO clinic framework in 2020.
The study contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service data [2017-2020] and modified Copernicus Sentinel data [2018-2020]. Maps contain data from © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org).
The photos used on this page come from the European Space Agency, Unsplash, Piaxabay and Wikimedia Commons galleries.
MORE INFO: office@worldfrom.space
DATE:
September 16, 2020
