Thessaloniki's atmosphere is heavily burdened by particulate matter, with elevated concentrations recorded during the winter months as households turn to heating. Speaking to Greenagenda.gr, Dimitris Melas, Emeritus Professor at the Department of Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, noted that January and the first half of February saw several moderate exceedances of permitted limits, particularly of PM2.5 and PM10.
According to Melas, measurements in western Thessaloniki reveal pollution levels comparable to those in the congested city centre. "Normally, as we move away from the centre, we should have better air quality, but this does not apply to the areas located in the western part of the city," he stressed.
Under current European legislation, the limit for PM10 exceedances stands at 35 days per year. Greece has frequently surpassed these thresholds, leading to a conviction by the European Court of Justice a few years ago over persistent PM10 breaches spanning 15 years. African dust episodes also contribute to some of the exceedances, according to the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
Wood burning for heating is identified as a major driver, accounting for around 70% of annual fine particle emissions. Lazaros Sichletidis, Emeritus Professor of Pulmonology, warned of the health consequences. "The exceedances disturb four groups: children, the elderly, heart patients and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," he said, adding that inhaled particles cause lung inflammation and may enter the bloodstream, triggering thrombotic episodes.
The regulatory landscape is set to tighten further. A new EU directive published in December 2024 will apply from 2030, significantly lowering the annual PM2.5 limit from 25 micrograms per cubic metre to 10. Although Greece previously complied with the older threshold, it is now expected to face substantial breaches under the stricter standard. "What matters is not simply complying with the limits but protecting residents' health, and unfortunately, this is not being achieved today," Sichletidis added.
Thessaloniki operates a modern regional monitoring network that reports data to the EU, while several municipalities, including Thessaloniki, Pavlos Melas and Delta, have installed additional local stations. Areas such as Efkarpia and the municipal buildings of Polichni and Stavroupoli continue to show elevated particulate concentrations.
By Nikos Avoukatos - adapted from Greek by Vassia Barba
