Scientists are sounding the alarm: what's wrong with our air

Measures to reduce air pollution could bring significant benefits to the economy.

The problem of air pollution in the city of Almaty is complex. The main problems of high air pollution in Almaty during the heating season are clearly associated with the burning of high-ash coal at CHP-2, CHP-3 and in the private sector. It is impossible to exclude the exhaust of motor vehicles, poor quality of motor fuel, outdated cars and the lack of exhaust quality control systems. Plus, there are no reliable data sources – monitoring systems are either outdated or provide insufficient reliable data for a real assessment of the state of air pollution. Environmental monitoring in Kazakhstan provides a limited amount of data, which leads to serious risks to the health of the local population, difficulties with decision-making and significant financial losses. In order to assess who or what is the main source of air pollution, detailed research and scientific approaches are needed.

The staff of the laboratory "Ecology of the Biosphere", under the leadership of Baymatova Nasiba Hikmatullayevna, Ph.D., associate professor of the Department of Analytical, Colloidal Chemistry and Technology of Rare Elements, head of the laboratory "Ecology of the Biosphere" of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, conducts scientific research on air quality in the framework of two projects (GF and YRG) and one targeted funding program (program) funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (2021-2023).

The research is aimed at assessing the contribution of various sources of PM2.5 particles in the air of Almaty (IRN AP09260359), where preliminary results were obtained on the impact of coal combustion as the main source of pollution. As part of the project, an action plan for effective measures to improve air quality in Almaty is being developed. Methods are also being developed to determine the weighted average concentrations of organic pollutants in the atmospheric air of the city of Almaty for monitoring and assessing the risk of cancer (IRN AP09058606). The program (IRN BR10965258) is aimed at developing a scientifically based program to improve air quality in the major cities of Astana and Almaty using modern research methods and modeling tools. Air quality indicators do not appear in such documents as the Strategy "Kazakhstan-2030", the Strategic Development Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2025, the Concept of transition of the Republic of Kazakhstan to a "green economy". Moreover, Kazakhstan does not have a national plan to clean up polluted air in cities. Thus, this study is aimed at providing quantitative information and data that could be useful to public authorities for the development of more effective and targeted environmental policies and a more accurate assessment of current strategies.

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