Red alert: Fine dust in Brandenburg is well above the limit!

Red alert: Fine dust in Brandenburg is well above the limit!

On June 28, 2025, a current measurement of air quality in Brandenburg an der Havel shows that the levels for fine dust are alarmingly high. An impressive 100 µg/m³ of fine dust was detected at the measuring station at the Werner-Seelenbinder sports field, which means a “very poor” condition for the health of the population. The limit value for PM10 is 50 µg/m³, which may be exceeded on a maximum of 35 days per year. In practice, however, this limit often seems to be ignored because such measured values ​​are not only problematic in Brandenburg.

The general situation in Germany is also worrying. New data from the Federal Environment Agency for 2023 have shown that 99 percent of all measuring stations exceed the WHO recommended limit values ​​for fine dust. This shows that the health risks caused by air pollution are present everywhere in Germany. Particular pollution from fine dust is enormous, particularly in urban areas where traffic and industry predominate. According to the Federal Environment Agency, the annual average values ​​for PM10 in urban areas have even been found to be around 15 to 20 µg/m³, which represents a significant decrease compared to the 50 µg/m³ of the 1990s.

Health effects of air pollution

The health consequences should not be underestimated. Every year, more than 240,000 people in the EU fall victim to fine dust and other airborne pollutants. The risks range from respiratory diseases to cardiovascular diseases. What is particularly worrying is that, according to Deutsche Umwelthilfe, almost three quarters of the measuring stations in Germany exceed the harmful limit of 10 µg/m³ for nitrogen dioxide.

With the increasing number of reports of air pollution, the DUH is calling on the federal government to strictly adapt the limit values ​​to the WHO recommendations by the beginning of 2025. This could prevent around 28,900 premature deaths from particulate matter every year.

Special environmental influences

According to the experts, there are also seasonal fluctuations in PM10 concentrations, which can lead to increased pollution, especially in dry winters or hot summers. Particularly in urban areas, particulate matter pollution increased significantly in the hours after the New Year's Eve fireworks, but the long-term impact on air quality remains low overall. Nevertheless, as the measurements show, the current situation is more than worrying and requires quick action.

In order to protect themselves in extremely poor air quality, sensitive people in particular should avoid physical exertion outdoors. It remains to be hoped that appropriate measures to improve air quality will finally be implemented so that the condition of the air we breathe does not escalate further.

In summary, it can be said that air quality is an urgent problem not only in Brandenburg an der Havel, but throughout Germany. It is time for both politicians and citizens to get involved in minimizing the health risks caused by air pollution.