Fossil fuels drive 3 percent increase in Istanbul’s air pollution

İSTANBUL

Air pollution, a leading cause of lung cancer, has seen a 3 percent increase in Istanbul in 2023 compared to the previous year.

Experts cite traffic density and the use of fossil fuels as the main contributors to this pollution

In 2023, approximately 41,000 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in Türkiye, a country already noted for its high rates of lung cancer in men.

“Although smoking remains the most significant cause of lung cancer, air pollution is increasingly being recognized as a major contributor,” said Çağlar Çuhadaroğlu, a member of the central board of directors of the Turkish Thoracic Society.

“In Istanbul’s Yenibosna district, air pollution increased by a staggering 69.54 percent. The dense traffic and reliance on fossil fuels are primary drivers of this pollution.”

Çuhadaroğlu highlighted that particulate matter from industrial activities and traffic significantly increases the risk of long-term damage and lung cancer due to fine particles that can enter the respiratory tract and cause cell damage and inflammation.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes about 7 million premature deaths worldwide each year, with a significant proportion of these deaths caused by lung cancer.

Tuncay Göksel, chairman of a working group of the Turkish Thoracic Society, said, “China leads the world in lung cancer cases with 1.6 million new cases annually, followed by the U.S. with 226,000 new cases. Türkiye is among the countries with the highest lung cancer rates in men, where smoking still accounts for 85 percent of cases.”

Of the people diagnosed with lung cancer in Türkiye, 34,000 were men and 7,000 were women.

“Quitting smoking and improving air quality in homes and workplaces are crucial preventative measures,” he noted.

In a related development, the Istanbul Municipality launched the Istanbul Fire Brigade Clean Air Breathing Apparatus Test and Maintenance Center.

During the opening ceremony, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu emphasized the importance of maintaining the equipment that protects firefighters’ lives. “The quality of our fire brigade services will improve by ensuring that their devices and equipment pass all tests,” İmamoğlu stated.

There is also a 450 bar breathing tube hydrostatic testing machine in the new building, where the center will also hydrostatically test breathing cylinders every five years, label them and remove any that fail the test.

In addition to testing and repair activities, the center also has a washing room and a cylinder test room. In the washing room, dirty and used masks coming from fire stations will be disinfected and checked in the test device. Equipment that does not pass the test despite all interventions will be removed from use and recorded.