ZAGREB, 1 Nov 2021 - Zagreb was the third city in the world with the highest air pollution on Monday, according to the Swiss IQAir website, which publishes global data on air quality.

Lahore, Pakistan was the city with the most polluted air, with an air quality index of 264, followed by Delhi, India with an air quality index of 198, and Zagreb was third with an air quality index of 183.

Traffic, industry, the heating season, and fog contribute to air pollution.

"Yes, traffic and industry affect the increase of pollution. But the heating season does too. And the weather conditions also contribute," Zvjezdana Bencetić, a professor at the Zagreb Faculty of Science, said recently when asked to comment on the fact that Zagreb is often ranked among cities with high air pollution.

As in recent days, the worst pollutant in Zagreb was the PM2.5 particles, which today were 11.7 times above the World Health Organization guideline value.

These particles are generated by the burning of fossil fuels such as vehicular emissions or the use of wood or coal for heating.

Slavonski Brod is another Croatian city with air pollution problems.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

October the 31st, 2021 - I live on the 18th floor of one of Zagreb's tallest buildings, and the fog yesterday morning made it seem as if I had woken up in the sky. You couldn't see anything and there's otherwise a pretty spectacular view over the city. Even the main road below was invisible, as were the cars even with their headlights shining bright. Zagreb air is, for those of us who live here, far from the best, and the Croatian capital keeps turning up on unenviable lists because of it.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, on the 29th of October, Zagreb was one of the ten cities with the worst quality air, the Swiss portal IQAir published, which publishes data on air quality around the world, Jutarnji list reported on Saturday.

Moreover, on the aforementioned date at eight in the morning, Zagreb was among the three most polluted cities in the entire world, along with the likes of Pakistan's Lahore and India's Delhi, dropping back down to sixth place during the day, which still isn't much to boast about.

The AQI air quality index on the aforementioned date at eight in the morning in our capital was 169, and at noon 153, which is considered unhealthy air for vulnerable populations.

“Current data in the City of Zagreb has shown occasional exceedances of daily limit values ​​of PM10 at the measuring station ZG-3 over the last few days, but for the overall assessment of pollution (quality categorisation) it's necessary to observe the whole year. Increased concentrations of suspended particles, as well as their occasional exceedances mainly occur during the winter months, ie the appearance of meteorological conditions suitable for retaining suspended particles (especially fog, no wind, etc.) and the beginning of the season for central heating being turned on.

Household fireplaces and traffic play a significant role in the pollution of suspended particles (PM10, PM2.5), but this situation is common in colder weather. The increase in the concentration of suspended particles in the City of Zagreb is also influenced by a phenomenon known as temperature inversion, ie an increase in temperature with altitude,'' they said the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development to Jutarnji list.

From the Dr. Andrija Stampar Institute, also based in Zagreb, they advised that people try to avoid engaging in long-term and intensive physical activity outdoors, especially along roads. This referred primarily to vulnerable groups of people, including children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those suffering from chronic diseases of the respiratory and/or cardiovascular system, reports Jutarnji list.

Despite the Zagreb air being a bit less than ideal right now, why not check out Zagreb in a Page to see how you can pass the time in this bustling city? Make sure to select your preferred language from our drop-down list if English isn't desired.

October the 21st, 2021 - The Croatian capital city of Zagreb was unfortunately listed among the world's most heavily polluted cities this week, more precisely on the 19th of October.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, earlier this week on the above-specified date, we, the citizens of Zagreb, weren't really able to ''enjoy'' the fresh air. The Croatian capital city has had its air quality scrutinised and complained about several times in the past, but this week it found itself among the ten most polluted in the entire world and considered unhealthy for vulnerable groups, according to data from the Swiss portal IQAir, which publishes daily data on air quality around the world.

IQAir units show that the concentration of PM 2.5 particles in the City of Zagreb was elevated by as many as 4.4 times higher than what is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

PM2.5 are particles made up of a combination of solid and liquid which is floating in the air, they're microscopic and as such completely impossible to see with the naked eye. They are the result of the burning of solid fuels and exhaust gases.

On that infamous scale, the Croatian capital city of Zagreb came in a not particularly impressive eighth place, Sarajevo in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina came ninth, while the Serbian capital of Belgrade took tenth place. The worst situation was found in Lima in Peru, Bishekek in Kyrgyzstan and, rather unironically, Wuhan in China. It is expected that in the coming days the air quality in Zagreb should be much better.

What about the air quality at the Croatian level?

The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development regularly publishes the state of Croatian air quality on its website, and on the same day the Croatian capital city was listed among the worst in the world, the worst air quality on that same date was recorded in Zagreb, Koprivnica and Slavonski Brod, according to a report from Vecernji list.

For more, make sure to check out our lifestyle section.

Bad air quality or not, what not see what the bustling Croatian capital has on offer? Head over to Zagreb in a Page and select your preferred language.

January the 17th, 2021 - As a resident of Zagreb, there is a lot I can say I really love about the Croatian capital. Having lived for three years in Croatia's southernmost city of Dubrovnik, where over-tourism and infrastructure simply not being able to cope during summer is a constant issue, the ''everything at your fingertips'' offer Zagreb has (at least in comparison to the Pearl of the Adriatic) still succeeds in making my daily life feel easier even after over three years of living permanently in Zagreb. One thing which is very concerning for Zagreb residents, however, is the frequently very poor air quality.

Zagreb's fog is romantic and beautiful if you grew up in Northern Europe like I did, where the bright sunshine and sunburn of Dubrovnik isn't really the norm. The fog which clings heavily during the winter months causing the city I see from my balcony to turn into a blank white canvas isn't always as picturesque as it might seem, sometimes it's just smog. If you've ever spent any amount of time in London, you'll know that smog and fog are two quite different things indeed.

Just what type of air are we Zagreb residents actually breathing in? According to IQAir, it's far from the best. On Friday, it was the absolute worst.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to the IQAir air quality index, Zagreb residents breathed the worst air in the entire European Union on Friday. Zagreb has an unimpressive score of just 151, reports Vecernji list, which means that the air being taken into the lungs of Zagreb residents on a daily basis is very unhealthy indeed.

Bișkek in Kyrgyzstan, which of course isn't European Union member state, can ''boast'' of having some of the most deeply polluted air at the moment. In addition to the analysis of the air quality of cities, the Swiss site IQAir publishes air quality by neighbourhood.

They stated that the worst air quality in Zagreb can be found in the Laniste area. This lack of quality air will be especially felt by those who belong to more vulnerable groups and those who have chronic lung conditions. The Croatian Environment and Nature Agency also states on its website that the air quality in Zagreb is indeed very, very poor. Data on the high concentration of pollutants was recorded by the station of the national network for the continuous monitoring of air quality.

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