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The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMI), in cooperation with the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, has launched a statistical survey focused on the traffic behavior of Slovak residents. The aim of the survey is to collect input data necessary to improve the emission inventory of selected pollutants and greenhouse gases from the transport sector. The survey is conducted as part of the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement project.

Personal car transport greatly pollutes the air we breathe. Whether students have a short or long commute to school, choosing the right means of transport can have a positive impact on their health and air quality. Students from the Sídlisko II Elementary School in Vranov nad Topľou have seen this for themselves.

From 7 to 12 November 2024, an informative measurement of air pollution by ultrafine particles (UFP – from the English “ultrafine particle”) was carried out in Sereď, Banská Bystrica, Čertovica, and Prešov. The aim of the measurements was to determine the extent to which road traffic affects UFP pollution in inhabited areas of Slovakia. Traffic-related pollution measurements were conducted as part of the Populair project in cooperation with the non-governmental organization CEPTA.

As part of the European Mobility Week, SEA employees continued the activity "Go to school on your own" at Golianova Primary School in Banská Bystrica. The aim of the activity, implemented as part of the LIFE IP project - Improving air quality, is to raise the awareness of pupils, parents and teachers about the importance of walking and cycling as an alternative to the use of cars when transporting children to school.

Did you know that for transportation in a densely populated city, cycling is the fastest mode of transportation within 3 km? Not to mention the health, safety and financial benefits. But this still may not be a reason for sufficient motivation to change daily mobility habits. In order to support motivation in favor of sustainable mobility, the Prešov Region has also created events this year that help citizens understand what they are missing out on by preferring motorized modes of transport.

Transport is one of the main causes of air pollution in Slovakia. Reducing emissions from road transport is one of the most effective ways to rapidly improve air quality. How can this be achieved and what role does idling play in it? 

International cooperation between three integrated LIFE projects

Countries in the Central European region face similar problems with air pollution, therefore the international exchange of experience is the key to the successful implementation of integrated LIFE projects (IP) aimed at improving air quality.

On June 22, 2023, the opening of a poster exhibition took place in the atrium of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic (MoE SR) on the informative measurement of NO2 in schools, which was opened by the Minister of the MoE SR, Milan Chrenko, and which was also attended by the Minister of Culture, Silvia Hroncová, ambassadors, winning schools and employees of the MoE SR.

A group of university students has developed a way to capture harmful tire dust, a major air and water pollutant. More than a million tons of tire particles are produced in Europe each year, a problem that is getting worse as the weight and torque of electric vehicles increase.

Air pollution is a major environmental problem that has a significant impact on human health. It is caused by the release of harmful particles and chemicals into the air, primarily from human activities such as transportation, combustion and industrial processes. In a new study, scientists focused on the impact of traffic-related air pollution on the human brain.