Kyiv air contains an excessive level of harmful chemicals, the State Emergency Service reported on June 15. The level of pollution exceeds the norm by at least five times.
The pollutant is nitrogen dioxide, which comes from coal, oil, gas, and contributes to the formation of smog. The reasons this toxin stays in the low levels of the atmosphere in Kyiv are hot weather, high atmospheric pressure, and weak wind.
The most polluted areas in the capital are two highways along Obolon Avenue and Semena Sklyarenko Street as well as areas around Bessarabska and Demiivska squares.
The Emergency Service says the conditions will worsen, for the pollution will be only increasing until June 18, as the heat remains. It is currently 32 degrees Celsius, or 89.6 Fahrenheit, in the Ukrainian capital.
According to the World Health Organization one-third of the deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and heart disease are due to air pollution. Although there’s no visible smog at the moment in Kyiv, it is usually advised to avoid busy roads, traffic congestions, and limit physical activity outdoors in such conditions.
