In the last eighteen months, Ukraine’s capital saw a considerable hike in air pollution, an KW article said.


In spite the government’s pledges to lower the overall level of air pollution or at least stabilize it at the level in 2010, air pollution in Kyiv from permanent sources continues to increase. Over the first 6 months of this year the air in Kyiv contained 17,400 t of contaminants and greenhouse gases (excluding carbon dioxide emissions) according to the Main Statistics Administration of Kyiv. Compared to the same period last year this figure increased by 9.1%. In January – June 2011 enterprises on the balance sheets of regional bodies of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources emitted into the air 11.5% more hazardous substances than over 6 months of 2010.
Kyiv power, gas and water generating companies are the leaders in terms of air polluting in the nation’s capital. Among them are Ekostandart (overall air pollution volume – 50.6%), Kyivenergo Thermo-electric Plant (TEP) No. 5 (12.5%), Kyivenergo TEP No. 6 (10%), Kyivenergo’s heating systems (6.7%), Ukrplastyk plant (5%), Enerhiya incineration plant (1.4%) and Asphalt Cement Factory (1%).
Experts believe that the main reason for the current rise in pollution levels is that fuel and energy enterprises have converted to alternative fuel such as Ukrainian coal and fuel oil after the hike in the price of Russian gas. Experts this factor alone has contributed 15 – 23% to the overall increase in pollutants. The situation could have changed for the better thanks to new air filtration systems, but in informal conversations power engineers assure no company is about to install powerful dust-separating filters as they will have to find use for large quantities of dust and gypsum usually accumulated after processing emissions.
In particular the worst situation is observed in Leninhradska, Sevastopolska, Besarabska and Moskovska squares, Naberezhno-Khreshchatytska, Saksahanskoho and Telihy streets, Peremohy and Vozzyednannya avenues, Kharkivske highway and Druzhby Narodiv and Lesi Ukrainky boulevards.
Judging by the rate of accumulation of pollutions and emissions and because nothing is done to change the situation Kyiv has all the chances of once again becoming the most polluted European capital, the article by Polina Svetlova concludes.