Red alert: Stralsund is struggling with worrying air quality!

Red alert: Stralsund is struggling with worrying air quality!

Today, August 24, 2025, the air quality in Stralsund also takes a look at the challenges caused by air pollutants. Current measurements at the Stralsund-Knieperdamm station primarily focus on fine dust particles (PM10) in the air. The limit of 50 particles per cubic meter should not be exceeded more than 35 times a year. But what does it really look like?

Air quality is assessed based on three important values: fine dust, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Not that easy when you consider that the limit values ​​for these pollutants are divided into different categories. Air quality is considered “very poor” if the values ​​for nitrogen dioxide are over 200 µg/m³, for fine dust over 100 µg/m³ and for ozone over 240 µg/m³. In contrast, the situation is brighter at “very good”, where no adverse health effects are expected and the best conditions for outdoor activities exist.

Air quality measurement and its influence

As you can see, the measurements are quite interesting: hourly average values ​​for nitrogen dioxide and ozone are recorded. For fine dust, however, there is a sliding daily average. This data is not only important for the city. Every year, an estimated 240,000 people in the EU suffer premature deaths due to poor air quality, highlighting the urgent need for action to improve air quality.

When air quality rises into the green zone and beyond, many people ask themselves: What can I do? If the air is “very bad”, sensitive people should avoid sporting activities outdoors, while if the air is “bad”, it is better to do it indoors. In the “moderate” range, health effects are unlikely, but they can still occur in sensitive people.

Innovations through WHO guidelines

Especially at a time when the WHO's new air quality guidelines are being discussed, the importance of health-oriented air limit values ​​is becoming even clearer. These are based on extensive scientific knowledge about the effects of particulate matter (both PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide, ozone and other pollutants. The goal is to protect the population as best as possible. But that's not all: the WHO also takes into account the health consequences of ultrafine dust and particles from sand and dust storms.

The Federal Environment Agency welcomes the update of these guidelines and plans to examine their significance for air pollution control in Germany. The new guidelines are a basis for the revision of the EU-wide limit and target values ​​by the European Commission. These are set out by law and must be complied with from a certain point in time. This also has an impact on the health of the population, which urgently requires closer examination.

When we think about how air quality affects our everyday lives, it becomes clear that we all have a part to play. Be it through more walking, the use of public transport or even small changes in daily life. Only together can we ensure that the air we breathe becomes cleaner - and perhaps even spend the next New Year's Eve without high levels of fine dust pollution.

The next steps will also trigger important discussions in the Stralsund city council. Because more than just theoretical limit values ​​are crucial for citizens. In the end, it is up to each and every one of us to consider the commitment to better air quality. And if even New Year's Eve fireworks contribute to the fine dust problem, we should keep our eyes and ears open.

For further information on the current air quality in Stralsund, you can read the report from Baltic Sea newspaper as well as the details of the new guidelines on the website Federal Environment Agency read up.