Air quality in Brandenburg: Is the fine dust pollution alarming?

Air quality in Brandenburg: Is the fine dust pollution alarming?

On July 6, 2025, there will be current measurement data on air quality in Brandenburg an der Havel, which doesn't bode well. Dangerous levels of fine dust and other pollutants were found at the Werner-Seelenbinder sports field. The air pollution not only exceeds the recommended limit values, but also shows a graphic reflection of the generally tense situation in many regions of Germany.

The measuring station recorded fine dust particles up to PM10 per cubic meter of air, and the limit value for PM10 is 50 micrograms per cubic meter, which may be exceeded up to 35 times this year. The values ​​show that the air quality is often not the best. The health risk caused by fine dust is a central issue because, according to surveys, up to 240,000 people in the EU die prematurely every year due to fine dust pollution.

Air quality values ​​at a glance

Air quality is divided into different categories, and the latest measurements showed several “poor” values:

• „Sehr schlecht“:
  • Stickstoffdioxid: > 200 μg/m³
  • Feinstaub: > 100 μg/m³
  • Ozon: > 240 μg/m³
• „Schlecht“:
  • Stickstoffdioxid: 101-200 μg/m³
  • Feinstaub: 51-100 μg/m³
  • Ozon: 181-240 μg/m³

What is particularly worrying is that people's health can suffer greatly under these conditions. Sensitive people should definitely avoid physical exertion outdoors if the values ​​are classified as “poor” or “very poor”. Even at “moderate” levels there can be short-term health effects.

A look at developments in Germany

The Federal Environment Agency recently published new air quality data that shows that harmful pollution from fine dust and nitrogen dioxide is almost widespread in Germany. The World Health Organization (WHO) limit values ​​for fine dust are exceeded at around 99% of the measuring stations, while for nitrogen dioxide almost three quarters of the stations cannot meet the recommended limit value either. Peak values ​​can be observed in cities such as Munich and Essen, where the air quality leaves a lot to be desired. According to the latest statistics, fine dust levels of 25 µg/m³ are still permitted in Germany, while the US authorities have lowered the limit for harmful fine dust to 9 µg/m³.

German Environmental Aid is calling on the federal government to finally issue clear guidelines for compliance with the WHO recommendations. These could prevent up to 28,900 premature deaths from fine dust and 10,000 from nitrogen dioxide every year in Germany. Time is of the essence as air quality in many cities remains a serious threat to the health of those around us.

It is all the more important that the air pollution control policy remains effective and that future developments in air quality are also taken into account. As the data shows, a large proportion of air pollution is caused by emissions from transport, industry and agriculture, as well as from Umweltbundesamt.de can be read.

Given the long-term challenges, it is essential that not only recommendations are made, but also action taken to improve air quality for future generations.

Better air quality is not just a wish, but a much-needed step in the right direction - for our health and our environment.

For more information about air quality in Germany and the recommendations of the Federal Environment Agency, you can view the detailed data on maz-online.de and the reports from German Environmental Aid duh.de see.