The earthquake destroyed not only buildings but also the air we breathed. Kahramanmaraş -based February 6 earthquakes affected by the air pollution in the cities has reached critical dimensions. Chest Diseases Specialist Assoc. Dr. Merve Erçelik, in 2023 Hatay air pollution increased by 42 percent, Iskenderun Center in the similar table formed, “This increase is not temporary. Even one year after the earthquake, the pollution level did not go to normal values,” he said. Stating that the resulting air pollution table had a direct impact on public health, Erçelik said that 53 thousand early deaths occurred due to the Particle substance (PM10) pollution in 2023 and that these deaths affected one of every 10 people over 30 years of age.
53 thousand early death
Although there were 341 stations measuring PM10 levels in 2024, only 77 percent of these stations were collected in sufficient data. However, the real table was experienced in the deaths. Only in 2023, 53 thousand early deaths due to air pollution took place. In recent years, in all centers, air pollution increased above limit values, while the provinces where the pollution was most seen was Iğdır and Malatya.
Measurements are insufficient
Chest Diseases Specialist Orbay Tutku Seren also raised his evaluations at the last Thoracic Congress. Seren stated that one of the most important public health problems of Türkiye is air pollution, There is no sufficient measurement of the “fine particle substance (PM2.5). In all of the measurements, we see that the people breathe dirty air. On the other hand, not only air, but also cities itself has become the problem of public health. Increased concrete, decreasing green area and rising city temperatures threaten health. When dirty air and increasing temperatures are combined, public health is seriously threatened, ”he said.
Mineral effect
Occupational Diseases Specialist Selin Çakmakçı pointed out the situation in the Akbelen Forest and said: “In the one -month air quality measurement made after the start of coal mine activities, PM10 values increased 4.5 times above the World Health Organization limits. This level is even higher than the coal -based central areas in Muğla, Milas and Yatağan.”
3 times more
Clean Air Rights Platform and Hatay Medical Chamber Antakya Branch on 10-11 June 2023 22 hours 13 minutes of uninterrupted measurements, PM2.5 average 48 micrograms/cubic meters, while this value, the World Health Organization’s 24-hour guide value was found to be more than 3 times. The highest pm2.5 value measured on the same day was recorded as 185 micrograms/cubic meters.
Limits are constantly exceeded
In June 6-17 and 23 hours 16 minutes of uninterrupted measurement, PM2.5 average was 16 micrograms/cubic meters, on July 10-11 in the continuous measurement that lasted for 21 hours and 10 minutes, the PM2.5 average was determined as 17 micrograms/cubic meters, while the highest PM2.5 value measured on the same day is 121 microgram/cubic cubic meters. He was laid. Experts, although there are limit values for PM10 in the environmental legislation in Türkiye, points out that there is no limit for PM2.5.
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