Türkiye's 20 most air-polluted regions revealed

ANTALYA

Analyzing data from air quality monitoring stations, Greenpeace Mediterranean has identified 20 regions with the highest air pollution in Türkiye, with the southeastern quake-hit province of Hatay's Iskenderun district ranking first.

As part of its efforts to combat air pollution, Greenpeace Mediterranean analyzed particulate matter, PM10 data obtained from stations in the national air quality monitoring network of the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry throughout 2023.

Within this scope, the 20 regions with the highest air pollution in Türkiye were analyzed, with Iskenderun taking the lead and Istanbul's Kadıköy district ranking second.

Contrary to expectations, no other district from Istanbul was included in the ranking, while the southeastern quake-hit provinces such as Hatay, Osmaniye, Gaziantep and Kahramanmaraş were included in the ranking.

The northeastern province of Bursa was also on the list with its Kestel and Nilüfer districts.

According to the analysis results, polluted air exceeding the PM10 limit value was breathed for 235 days of the year in Iskenderun district.

Pointing out that according to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes 13 deaths per minute worldwide, Greenpeace Climate and Energy expert Gökhan Ersoy said that in Türkiye, air pollution ranks fifth after tobacco, overweight, hypertension and hyperglycemia in risks leading to death.

Pointing to fossil fuels as responsible for air pollution in general, Ersoy said, “The fact that three other cities from the earthquake region are on the list this year and that Hatay and Osmaniye are among the 10 most polluted regions for the first time, shows that the additional pollution load caused by the debris removal works cannot be tolerated in terms of public health, as all stations in these three cities exceeded the annual limit value."