Smog, shock data. Milan is the most polluted city and it could have been much worse. But there is a solution…

Milan ranks third among the most polluted cities in the world: At one point this was the shocking data over the past weekend, based on the indicator Aqi (Air quality index) which combines various indicators, including Fine dust, 10 p.m, BM 2,5Ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur.
They were in the top two of this decidedly ungrateful ranking Lahore (Pakistan) e Dhaka (Bangladesh), while the capital, Milan, was competing for third place on the podium Delhi (India).
However, all specialized sites gave us Po Valley And in general for Central North The country's priorityThe most polluted area in Europe,.

Shocking data, but it could have been worse
The newspaper also reported Corriere della SeraAnd also data Lombardi harpReferring to Municipality of Milan And update to Sunday 17 FebruaryHe confirmed that the limits had been exceeded: The average daily PM10 is 100 micrograms per cubic meter of airwhen the limit is set to 50 (in practice twice!). BM 2.5The most dangerous one, It was found to be 76 micrograms per cubic meter, 5 micrograms is higher than the daily value and 15 if we take into account the 3-4 day value set by the World Health Organization. We remind you that these microparticles can cause coughaggravationClothes hanger H Chronic respiratory diseases.
But be careful, it could have been much worse: Over the weekend, actually, we had a fair amount of sunshine thus Certainly not the worst climate scenario for pollutionwhich is much higher in existence fog. Think then, if the limits are exceeded twice as much, then when there is fog they can be three times as high!

Not just Milan
Values ​​similar to those in Milan were recorded by the environmental services of Piedmont, Veneto Mr. Dr Emilia Romagna.
This helps us offer another reflection: There are areasIn the Po Valley, Much less policed ​​than Milan, also and above all because of the small population; However, some of these exist Weather conditionsCompared to the capital, Milan, More suitable for the accumulation of polluted materials. These conditions are:Absence of winda More frequent formation of fog H TemperatureAnd therefore, Cooler; It is, especially if it is accompanied by, It ensures that pollutants do not spread into the airwhich alternatively occurs when the climate is windy, rainy, or warmer.
Moreover, regarding Contributing to pollutionIt does not originate from Milan only, but… They are fairly concentrated throughout the Po Valley In this type, the large basin expands; Once we go up in altitude, even just to 150-200 metres, almost everything changes and the air definitely becomes cleaner.

a reason
The reason for the rise in these values ​​these days can be attributed to four main factors:
– The geography is definitely unfavorable for the Po Valley (basically a basin, with poor air circulation);
– High pressure that has reigned unchallenged for weeksexcept for a very short break of two days which causes smog stagnation;
– – High population density, houses and cars;
– The presence of livestock and agricultural crops.
More than 50% of PM2.5 is due to Home heating And for farmsAnd only 15% for transportation.

What are the solutions?
It is impossible not to mention the crazy idea that dates back several years, and is much more bizarre than the idea of ​​​​the Strait of Messina, which inspired… Building a large tunnel in the Alpswith a purpose Encourage air mixing.
Of course, this solution could solve the pollution problem in the Po Valley, but it represents a problem Three huge side effects:
– I Huge costs Who would have a project of this size?
– L'Environmental impact Which will happen on our Alpine arc;
– L'Climate impact This will be the case at the general level for Italy.
For all these reasons, an idea of ​​this kind remains crazy.
Therefore, the solution can only be found in us, that is, in one person A big change in the way we pollute.