‘Air pollution high in areas with traffic congestion in Istanbul’

ISTANBUL

The air pollution in Istanbul is directly related to traffic congestion and the excessive number of vehicles, with the Beşiktaş and Mecidiyeköy districts being more polluted regions as they host bridge connections, states an expert from Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ).

"In Istanbul, when it comes to air pollution, we can say that there are different profiles, especially related to traffic and industrial facilities. We can observe that air quality measurement stations located on the roadsides in areas with the highest traffic have higher levels of air pollution. The results indicate that particulate matter and nitrogen oxide pollution are slightly more prominent," said Levent Kuzu, a member of İTÜ’s Environmental Engineering Department.

"By looking at specific districts, we can also say that places with bridge connections like Beşiktaş and Mecidiyeköy have higher pollution levels. Besides, I can mention that Şirinevler, which also experiences heavy traffic, has slightly worse air quality," Kuzu pointed out.

This level of air pollution is a common issue in other major cities worldwide, especially in metropolises like Istanbul, which houses 16 million people and serves as the hub for the country's industrial and commercial activities, the expert noted.

Discussing individual actions to reduce air pollution, Kuzu stated that in a bid to mitigate this problem, measures can be taken to reduce the use of vehicles emitting exhaust emissions, and public transportation can be a viable option for this purpose.

"On an individual level, we can consider shared transportation. Moreover, there is a growing trend toward electric vehicles, which is a promising and important development. Additionally, alternative transportation methods such as bicycles and scooters can be used for short distances,” he added.