1International College of Business and Technology (UBT) – lecturer / Lagjja Kalabria, NN, Prishtina, Kosovo
2Agricultural University of Tirana (UBT) – lecturer, Kamez, Albania
*Corresponding author e-mail: afete.musliu@ubt-uni.net
Abstract:
Vehicular traffic is one of the biggest sources of pollution that create environmental problems that arise from the increase of traffic movements in cities contributing in poor quality of air. The air pollution deriving from vehicular traffic in cities includes nitrogen oxide, particles, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. This paper aims to assess the air pollution in relation to particles (PM) increased levels in Pristina city in Kosovo, its connection to increased urban traffic and the urgent need for this matter to be regulated by law. Diesel vehicles are responsible for the majority of Particulate matter PM10 in the air. Considering the fact that most of the diesel vehicles in Kosovo are more than 10 years old, therefore very small number of them is compatible with the Euro emission standards for the regulated diesel car pollutants, the problems that cause the movement of these vehicles to the city centre of Pristina in connection with the release of particles are obvious. Based on the measurements carried out by the Hydro meteorological Institute of Kosovo, from the analysis of the results obtained by automatic air quality monitoring observed during January 2017 and 2018 there are significant exceedances of daily standard values with PM 10 in both locations in Prishtina, Rilindja and Hydro meteorological Institute of Kosovo (IHMK) location. The concentration of PM10 (μg / m3) during January 2018 reached maximum of 259.7, reaching the highest level of air pollution measured ever in Pristina, Kosovo. This is a good indicator of the urgent need to regulate the vehicular movement, in particular with diesel engines, in the city centre of Pristina, but also in other cities in Kosovo, and restrict the movement of vehicles that do not meet the appropriate Euro emission standards.
Keywords: Air quality, Pristina, Vehicular traffic, Particulate matter PM10.
