Air pollution in major Polish cities in the period 2005-2021: Intensity, effects and attempts to reduce it

Air quality in Poland is among the lowest in Europe due to high emissions of harmful substances. This causes the development of diseases and leads to a high number of premature deaths. Particularly high pollution occurs in parts of urban areas. The most serious problem is unregulated emissions from buildings and vehicles. That is why it is so important to take action to improve air quality at the local level. The study assessed changes in the concentrations of NO₂, O₃, PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and benzo(a)pyrene in 11 major Polish cities between 2005 and 2021. In 2021 average levels were: NO₂ - 25 μg/m³, O₃ - 45 μg/m³, PM₁₀ - 26 μg/m³, PM_2.5 -17 μg/m³, benzo(a)pyrene - 2.1 ng/m³. The highest exceedances of WHO standards over the studied period were for PM_2.5, followed by NO₂ and PM₁₀. The annual average levels fell by 17% for NO₂ and by 18% for PM₁₀ between 2005 and 2021, and by 34% for PM_2.5 and 27% for benzo(a)pyrene between 2010 and 2021. The most polluted cities are Kraków, Katowice and Łódź. The highest concentrations of pollutants typically occurred in 2006 and 2011, the lowest in 2020. Strategic documents and programmes that formulate objectives for reducing emissions and improving air quality were evaluated. Policy documents enable numerous measures to improve air quality. Plans are not always effectively implemented due to a lack of formal tools and financial resources.