Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

air pollution Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

is the most lethal of the nation's environmental issues, with almost everyone across the country exposed to more than

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

guidelines. Over 30,000 people die each year from

-related illnesses; over 8% of the country's deaths. Air pollution is particularly damaging to children's health. Researchers estimate that reducing air pollution to World Health Organization limits would save seven times the number of lives that were lost in traffic accidents in 2017. Road transport in Turkish cities and

coal in Turkey Coal supplies a quarter of Energy in Turkey, Turkey's primary energy, and the country is one of the largest consumers in the world. The heavily Fossil fuel subsidies#Turkey, subsidised coal industry generates over a third of the Electricity sec ...

are major polluters, but the main factor affecting air pollution levels is vehicle density. The number of vehicles traversing Turkey's roads has increased from 4 million in 1990 to 25 million in 2020. Additionally, ambient air quality and national emissions ceilings do not meet EU standards, and unlike other European countries, many air pollution indicators are not available in Turkey. There is no limit on very small airborne particles (PM2.5), which cause lung diseases and, they have not been completely inventoried and are not officially reported. Cars and lorries emit diesel exhaust,

particulates Particulate matter (PM) or particulates are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspension (chemistry), suspended in the atmosphere of Earth, air. An ''aerosol'' is a mixture of particulates and air, as opposed to the particulate ...

nitrogen oxides In atmospheric chemistry, is shorthand for nitric oxide () and nitrogen dioxide (), the nitrogen oxides that are most relevant for air pollution. These gases contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as affecting tr ...

(NOx) and other fumes in cities, but the first of several Turkish national electric cars is planned to start production in 2022. Low-quality lignite coal, burnt in cities and the oldest of the country's coal-fired power stations, is also a big part of the problem. As of 2023 health impact assessment is not done in Turkey. In early 2020 air pollution in major cities fell significantly due to

COVID-19 restrictions During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions, particularly lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions), were implemented in numero ...

, but it started to rise again by the middle of the year. Right to Clean Air Platform Turkey and the Chamber of Environmental Engineers are among organisations campaigning for cleaner air.

Sources of air pollution

Traffic

In 2019 Istanbul had a dangerously high level of NO₂ (over three times WHO guidelines). Although Istanbul's urban smog had cleared by early 2020 air pollution in the city increased again once COVID-19 restrictions had been eased. Increasing Turkey's proportion of electric cars in use to 10% by 2030 would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by Turkey. There are high purchase taxes on new cars and in 2019 about 45% of cars were over 10 years old and energy-inefficient. Continued electrification of the rail network and more high-speed line is one countermeasure being taken. In 2020 strict enforcement of diesel truck emissions was suggested by Sabancı University as a way to get old, polluting vehicles off the road: also in that year tractors have a legal exemption to burn 1000 ppm sulfur diesel.

Heating and cooking

, Turkish coal is still burnt for home heating in low-income districts of

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

and some other cities, which is bad because Turkish coal is very low-quality.

Coal-fired power stations

Emissions from

coal-fired power station A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations, on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate ...

s cause severe impacts on public health. A report from the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) estimates that in 2019, there were almost 5,000 premature deaths caused by pollution from coal-fired power stations in Turkey, and over 1.4 million work-days lost to illness. The Director for Strategy and Campaigns said: The HEAL report estimates that the health costs of illness caused by coal-fired power stations make up between 13 and 27 percent of Turkey's total annual health expenditure (including both public and private sectors). Greenpeace Mediterranean say that the coal-fired power plants in Afşin-Elbistan are the power plants with the highest health risk in a European country, followed by Soma power station.

Flue gas emission limits

Since January 2020 flue gas emission limits in mg/Nm³ (milligrams per cubic metre) have been: These limits allow more pollution than the EU

Industrial Emissions Directive The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) (Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control)) is a European Union directive which commits ...

. In China (which has a similar income per person), the limits for particulate matter (PM),

sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell that is responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is r ...

(SO₂) and NO_x emissions are 10, 35, and 50 mg/m³, respectively.

Passive smoking

More than a quarter of adults smoke in Turkey, and secondhand smoking, also known as

passive smoking Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke, called passive smoke, secondhand smoke (SHS) or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), by individuals other than the active Tobacco smoking, smoker. It occurs when tobacco smoke diffuses into the ...

, is a danger in itself and increases the risk of respiratory infection.

Industry and construction

Air pollution from

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...

production is one of the environmental impacts of concrete. Although

asbestos Asbestos ( ) is a group of naturally occurring, Toxicity, toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous Crystal habit, crystals, each fibre (particulate with length su ...

was completely banned in 2010, it can still be a risk when older buildings are demolished, in dumps, and in buildings in some rural areas where it occurs naturally.

Types and levels

Levels across the country are above

guidelines. There is no limit on PM2.5 and limits for other pollutants (except SO₂) are above WHO guidelines: Although there is some monitoring of air pollution, many air pollution indicators are not available. The

air quality index An air quality index (AQI) is an indicator developed by government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become. As air pollution levels rise, so does the AQI, along with the a ...

in Turkey does not include particles smaller than 2.5 microns ( PM 2.5), but does include

nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula . One of several nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide is a reddish-brown gas. It is a paramagnetic, bent molecule with C2v point group symmetry. Industrially, is an intermediate in the s ...

carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...

, tropospheric ozone and particles between 10 and 2.5 microns in diameter (

PM10 Particulate matter (PM) or particulates are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. An ''aerosol'' is a mixture of particulates and air, as opposed to the particulate matter alone, though it is sometimes defined ...

). According to the

OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; , OCDE) is an international organization, intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and international trade, wor ...

Turkey plans to meet EU limits by 2024.

Particulates

Like in other countries,

, such as from tyre wear of vehicles in cities, are a danger to people's lungs. Regulations in Turkey do not contain restrictions on particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter ( PM 2.5), which cause lung diseases. average PM2.5 concentration was 42μg/m3, whereas 10 μg/m³ is the

(WHO) guideline, and is at dangerous levels in

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

, Hakkari, Siirt, Iğdır, Afyon,

Gaziantep Gaziantep, historically Aintab and still informally called Antep, is a major city in south-central Turkey. It is the capital of the Gaziantep Province, in the westernmost part of Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Region and partially in the Medi ...

Karaman Karaman is a city in south central Turkey, located in Central Anatolia, north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the seat of Karaman Province and Karaman District.Isparta.

Nitrogen oxides

Asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

is expensive to treat and can be caused by nitrogen oxides. NO₂ in cities such as Ankara is visible from satellites. Existing diesel vehicles emit diesel exhaust NOx and other air pollutants in cities but the first model of Turkish national electric car is planned to start production in 2022.

Sulfur dioxide

Emissions are mostly from coal-fired power stations, and rose 14% in 2019 to over a megatonne of the world total of 29 megatonnes: Kemerköy power station and the Afşin-Elbistan power stations polluted the surrounding areas with 300 kilotonnes each in 2019.

Volatile organic compounds

levels of

volatile organic compound Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature. They are common and exist in a variety of settings and products, not limited to Indoor mold, house mold, Upholstery, upholstered furnitur ...

s (VOCs) in Istanbul were on average similar to those in London and Paris but more variable, with maxima usually exceeding 10 ppb.

Persistent organic pollutants

The emission levels of

persistent organic pollutant Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes. They are toxic and adversely affect human health and the environment around the world. Because ...

s are regulated, but totals for these emissions were not reported in 2019.

Greenhouse gases

Turkey emits one percent of the world's

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...

. Because most of the air pollution is caused by burning fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions by Turkey would also be reduced by, for example, low emission zones for city traffic, and replacing the distribution of free coal with a different support for poor families. In other words, helping to limit climate change would be a co-benefit of the main health benefits, and health improvement would be a co-benefit of climate change mitigation.

Monitoring and reporting

In 2018 air quality data was available on the website of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization for 16% of districts and the ministry plans for it to be available for all districts by 2023, increasing the number of monitoring stations to 380. In 2023 the Right to Clean Air Platform said that half of the 360 monitoring stations were not working properly. The Chamber of Environmental Engineers publishes a report every year based on this data. The ministry also continuously monitors smokestack emissions from 305 power plants and industrial sites to ensure they do not surpass the limits, but this data is not published as Turkey has not ratified the Gothenburg Protocol on air pollution. There are hourly, daily and yearly average limits for various pollutants in the area around a coal-fired power station, defined as a radius 50 times the chimney height: Some industrial companies reach

Global Reporting Initiative The Global Reporting Initiative (known as GRI) is an international independent standards organization that helps businesses, governments, and other organizations understand and communicate their impacts on issues such as climate change, human rig ...

(GRI) 305 emissions standard. There is a pollutant release and transfer register, but as of September 2024 no years are publicly searchable because it is not yet technically complete, and it is not known what exemptions will be granted.(see FAQ).

Medical dangers

About 8% of all deaths have been estimated to be due to air pollution. However estimates of annual excess mortality vary between 37,000 and 60,000. The Right to Clean Air Platform estimates at least 48,000 early deaths in 2021. Air pollution is a health risk mainly due to burning

fossil fuels A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geologica ...

, such as coal and diesel. Researchers estimate that reducing air pollution to

limits would save seven times the number of lives that were lost in traffic accidents in 2017. Although in many places the health effects of air pollution cannot be estimated, because there is not enough monitoring of PM10 and PM2.5 particulates, average excess loss of life (compared to how many would be lost if WHO air pollution guidelines were followed) is estimated to be 0.4 years per person but this will vary by location because, , air pollution is severe in some cities. In general it increases the risk from respiratory infections, such as

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, especially in highly polluted cities such as

Zonguldak Zonguldak () is a List of cities in Turkey, city of about 100 thousand people in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Zonguldak Province and Zonguldak District. Many cities in Turkey are more polluted than typical European cities. For example, the capital of neighbouring Bulgaria is introducing a low emission zone and restricting coal and wood burning.

Istanbul

Pollution has lessened since the 1990s. But , measured with the air quality index, Istanbul's air affects the hearts and respiratory systems even of healthy individuals during busy traffic. NO₂ is visible in measurements by Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3.

Bursa

, industry located within the city of

Bursa Bursa () is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...

is a particular problem, and it is said to have the worst air pollution in the country. Breathing the air there is equivalent to smoking 38 packs of cigarettes a year. NO₂ is visible in satellite measurements.

Ereğli

A higher rate of

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

may be related to local industry in Ereğli.

Relationship to climate change

Some of the sulphur compounds emitted from Turkey's coal-fired power station chimneys become stratospheric sulfur aerosols, which are the type of short-lived climate forcers which reflect sunlight back into space. However this cooling effect is temporary, as short-lived climate forcers are almost all gone from the atmosphere after 30 years. Significant amounts of coal were burnt over 30 years ago, so the effect of that on global warming is dominated by , even though there were no limits on sulphur compounds until 2004. Between 2004 and 2020, the limit on concentrations of sulphur compounds in flue gas was greatly reduced.

Politics

The Climate Change and Air Management Coordination Board is responsible for coordination between government departments. , however, according to the EU, better coordinated policies need to be established and implemented.

Economics

The impact of air pollution on the economy via damage to health may be billions of dollars, and an attempt to estimate this more precisely began in 2019. A study of 2015-16 hospital admissions in Erzincan estimated direct costs of air pollution as 2.5% of the total health-related expenditures for the 15–34 and over 65 age groups, but stated that the total cost is likely much higher: for example, the economic costs of the reductions in the intelligence of adults and children have not been estimated. According to medical group Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), reducing PM 2.5 air pollution in the country would substantially increase GDP. According to the OECD, in 2019

bitumen Bitumen ( , ) is an immensely viscosity, viscous constituent of petroleum. Depending on its exact composition, it can be a sticky, black liquid or an apparently solid mass that behaves as a liquid over very large time scales. In American Engl ...

's exemption from special consumption tax was a subsidy of 5.9 billion lira. Bitumen, also known as asphalt, is used for road surfaces and in hot weather releases secondary organic aerosols, which can damage people's health in cities.

International

, ambient air quality and national emissions ceilings are not up to EU standards. Turkey has not ratified the Gothenburg Protocol, although it has ratified the original Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution and those reports are public. Pollution affects neighbouring countries. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, 16 km over the border, is old and said to be insufficiently earthquake proof and vulnerable to military attack.

Proposed solutions

In the

Constitution of Turkey The Constitution of Turkey, formally known as the Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye (), and informally as the Constitution of 1982 (), is Turkey's fundamental law. It establishes the organization of the government, and sets out the pr ...

, Article 56 reads, "Everyone has the right to live in a healthy and balanced environment. It is the duty of the State and citizens to improve the natural environment, to protect the environmental health and to prevent environmental pollution." According to the Eleventh Development Plan (2019–2023), all districts will be monitored by 2023 and:

Air quality management practices will be enabled to prevent air pollution from production, heating and traffic, and air quality will be improved by controlling emissions. Air quality action plans will be prepared at local level and legislation on pollution and emission control will be updated. Air quality management capacity will be improved by strengthening regional clean air centres. Research on air quality modelling and monitoring will be conducted and infrastructure will be developed.

Quitting coal is said to be essential, and the market share of diesel cars is falling. Strengthening environmental laws is said to benefit the economy of Turkey. The Ministry of the Environment has drafted a law limiting PM 2.5 but it has not yet been passed. According to the HEAL, over 500 premature deaths could be avoided per year by shutting down three power stations in

Muğla Muğla () is a city in southwestern Turkey. The city is the center of the district of Menteşe, Muğla, Menteşe and Muğla Province, which stretches along Turkey's Aegean Sea, Aegean coast. Muğla's center is situated inland at an altitude of ...

. Electric ferryboats have been proposed for the Bosphoros. A

low-emission zone A low-emission zone (LEZ) is a defined area where access by some polluting vehicles is restricted or deterred with the aim of improving air quality. This may favour vehicles such as bicycles, micromobility vehicles, (certain) alternative fuel v ...

for road traffic has been suggested for Istanbul and it has been suggested that Turkey's vehicle tax system should be changed to better charge for pollution. More green space is suggested for cities. Seven regional clean air centers have been created and the deputy environment minister said in 2020 that low-emissions areas will be created and bike lanes increased.

History

Lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

was first smelted around 5000 BC in Anatolia and in 535 AD

Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

acknowledged the importance of clean air. In the 19th century air pollution was thought of in terms of miasma, the idea that foul smells could cause disease. Due to the high cost of oil after the 1970s oil crisis, cities burnt more

lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...

for residential heating. An Air Pollution Control Regulation was issued in the 1980s and air quality monitoring began in that decade. In early 2020 most air pollution in major cities fell significantly due to the

, but tropospheric ozone (a leading cause of

smog Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words ''smoke'' and ''fog'' to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odour. The word was then inte ...

) increased as there were fewer particles to block the sunlight. Air pollution started to rise again by the middle of the year.

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

Official Air Quality Map

Methane map

Turkey fact sheets

European Environment Agency The European Environment Agency (EEA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) which provides independent information on the environment. Definition The European Environment Agency (EEA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) which provides ...

Chamber of Environmental Engineers

2019 World Clean Air Congress in Istanbul
{{Commons category

Pollution in Turkey Environment of Turkey