Planting of 1,000 trees against bad air in Mělník

Over 1,000 trees and shrubs planted and 8 sensors monitoring the air. This is the record of the city of Mělník in the field of combating air pollution in the past 11 months. These measures were implemented within the framework of Norway Grants projects based on the data obtained from measurements that identified the level and sources of pollution in the city. Transport was found to be the biggest polluter followed by local heating plants.

The planting of trees and shrubs is taking place in 14 locations in the city, which were selected in accordance with the observed data in cooperation with environmental experts and landscape architects. Despite the inclement weather at the beginning of the year, the greenery is being planted on time. „It is almost unbelievable that the city of Mělník managed not only to obtain a 10-million subsidy for planting greenery in the city, but also to plant it in such a short time,“ adds city councillor Ing. Jan Rohlík.

Among the selected sites we can find several streets, green areas, but also a protective cover of forests. „The most beautiful location is undoubtedly the park Na Brabčově. Thanks to the project, we have planted another 80 trees and completed its conception,“ invites the project coordinator Ing. Željko Filipovič and adds a list of the positive impact of greenery on life: it filters pollutants from the air, is a source of oxygen, acts as a natural barrier against noise, creates a microclimate, helps retain water, is home to a variety of animals and, last but not least, aesthetically enriches our environment.

The insulating capacity of the greenery was the main reason for the new planting. The data on which the selection of the planting sites is based shows that the immission limit for particulate matter in Mělník is exceeded. In addition to traffic, local heating sites also contribute significantly to air pollution. Blata/Rousovice and Mlazice/Pšovka were identified as the most affected locations in the city. Moreover, thanks to the extensive measurements, the city was able to determine exactly what people were heating with. Unfortunately, in both of the previous areas, in addition to wood and coal, plastics are also used for heating, which are the most dangerous substances in the air. It is in these areas that a network of 8 sensors and two weather stations have been installed to monitor the situation 24 hours a day and transmit the data in real time to the publicly accessible portal www.smartenvi.eu.

A team from the University of Mining and Metallurgy – Technical University of Ostrava, led by Jiří Bílek, is analysing the data in more detail and preparing a set of recommendations for improving the air in the Mělník region. „Already the first measurements from the turn of the year brought us unfavourable news. At all the measured locations in Mělník, the immission limit for particles of flying dust, which can cause a number of health complications, was exceeded several times. The smallest particles enter the blood through the respiratory tract, and through it into the whole body, have a negative effect on the respiratory and cardiovascular system and are also carcinogens,“ concludes Bílek.

Contact:
Daniel Glaser, Project Coordinator
605 339 803
daniel.dot.glaser@gmail.com