Application of world experience in atmospheric air protection in Ukraine

Atmospheric air pollution has become an acute problem for many countries of the world and should be more researched to find effective ways to combat it. The world community has joined the online service for transmitting information about the state of atmospheric air and now you can find out about it in real time by such basic pollution indicators as small particles of PM2.5, large particles of PM10, ozone O3, nitrogen dioxide NO2, sulfur dioxide SO2, oxide carbon CO, which have the most adverse effect on the health of the population. In a report for 2023, Swiss IQAir scientists analyzed air quality data in 134 countries and found that only 7 countries met WHO requirements for the most dangerous pollutant – PM2.5, particles of pollutants that pass into the human body through biological barriers, cause acute lung inflammation and oxidative stress provoke the development of many diseases. Air protection measures in “oases” with clean air are considered as an example that should be useful to Ukraine during the reconstruction after the end of the war. Ukraine took 107th place in the 2023 ranking, while the average concentration of air pollution exceeded the norm by almost two times. At the same time, before the full-scale invasion, when all the industrial enterprises were working, the figures were much worse. The main causes of air pollution during Russia’s military aggression on our territories have been identified. It was noted that the true quality of the environment cannot be assessed because monitoring systems have been damaged, looted and gutted as a result of hostilities, and it has become more difficult to control the air of any area. Based on the internationally known actions and influence of the occupying country on the ecological situation of Ukraine, new international norms for the protection of the environment during a military conflict urgently need to be developed.