Air quality in Potsdam: Red alarm level due to fine dust!

Air quality in Potsdam: Red alarm level due to fine dust!

With today's date, June 12, 2025, let's take a look at the air quality in Potsdam and the associated risks to the health of citizens: inside. At a central measuring station in Potsdam, the concentration of fine dust particles (PM10) per cubic meter of air is recorded. The limit for PM10 is 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, whereby this value may be exceeded 35 times annually. The measurements show that, despite the activities for improvement, air quality in many cities continues to have serious problems - especially on days with special weather conditions, such as inversions where air pollution can increase.

The air quality is not only influenced by fine dust, but also by nitrogen dioxide and ozone. The limit values ​​for these pollutants are divided into four categories: "very bad", "bad", "moderate" and "good". For example, a value of over 100 micrograms per cubic meter of air for fine dust is considered "bad". To protect public health, there are recommendations for different air quality states. In the case of "very bad" air quality, sensitive people should avoid physical exertion outdoors, while in "good" there are no health disadvantages.

fine dust and health risks

Special attention should be paid to the health risks that arise from air pollution in the EU. Around 240,000 people die early due to fine dust. In response to this, the EU has launched the goal of a zero pollutant action plan, which would like to reduce the pollutants by 55 percent by 2030. In view of the estimates of 239,000 deaths in 2022 in the EU due to fine dust, ozone and nitrogen dioxide, it is clear that further measures are necessary ...

The health effects are significant: long -term exposure to fine dust, nitrogen dioxide and ozone can cause serious illnesses. Between 2005 and 2022, the number of deaths due to fine dust in the EU was reduced by 45 percent. Nevertheless, air pollution remains the greatest environmental risk -related health risk, especially in urban areas. This makes it clear that laws on the air quality improvement, which are closer to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), are urgently needed.

continuous measurements and recommendations

The measured values ​​are recorded every hour and are available to the public about 20 minutes after the measurement, but it is preliminary data. In order to ensure that the investigation is of the highest accuracy, quality assurance takes place before final results are published in an annual report. In fact, it was found that New Year's fireworks are responsible for a short -term increase in fine dust in the hours after midnight, with about 1,500 tons being released on a single New Year's evening.

In order to further monitor the air quality, the Brandenburg air data portal offers regular updates and information on air pollutants. Interested citizens: inside can use simple contact options to clarify questions about the air approval data and to find out more about current values. You can find more information and current measurement data on Air data Brandenburg .