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Air quality in Potsdam: Fine dust levels alarm citizens!
Find out the current air quality in Potsdam on October 12, 2025, including fine dust and pollutant measurements.
Air quality in Potsdam: Fine dust levels alarm citizens!
On October 12, 2025, the air measurement stations in the center of Potsdam published new data on air quality. The focus is on fine dust pollution, especially the PM10 value, which should not exceed a limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air. According to maz-online.de, these values may be exceeded a maximum of 35 times per year in order to ensure the health of the people not to endanger the population.
The measuring station also recorded the values for nitrogen dioxide and ozone. According to the current classifications, the following overview results:
| category | Nitrogen dioxide (μg/m³) | Fine dust (μg/m³) | Ozone (μg/m³) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very bad | > 200 | > 100 | > 240 |
| bathroom | 101-200 | 51-100 | 181-240 |
| Moderate | 41-100 | 35-50 | 121-180 |
Health effects
In terms of health impacts, air quality remains a pressing issue. In the European Union, around 240,000 premature deaths can be attributed to particulate matter every year. A new study by the European Environment Agency shows that this figure was reduced by 45% between 2005 and 2022. The EU's goal remains to reduce particulate matter pollution by 55% by 2030; against this background, protecting the environment and human health remains of central importance.
The recommendations for different air quality values are clear:
- Sehr schlecht: Empfindliche Personen sollten körperliche Anstrengungen im Freien vermeiden.
- Schlecht: Empfindliche Personen sollten anstrengende Tätigkeiten im Freien auslassen.
- Mäßig: Kurzfristige gesundheitliche Auswirkungen sind unwahrscheinlich, langfristig können jedoch Effekte auftreten.
- Gut: Keine gesundheitlich nachteiligen Wirkungen zu erwarten.
- Sehr gut: Ideale Bedingungen für Outdoor-Aktivitäten.
Influence of weather and fireworks
Particularly interesting: Weather conditions play a major role in the spread of fine dust after New Year's Eve, where around 1,500 tons of fine dust are released - this corresponds to 75% of the annual fireworks pollution. Although the fireworks cause the values to rise briefly, the effect is not significant in a year-on-year comparison.
Current measurement data is published hourly, but provisionally and without final validation. This data is made available approximately 20 minutes after the measurement, so that citizens can always have a fresh view of the air quality situation. The Brandenburg air data provides information about legally regulated air pollutants as well as special measurements of ultrafine particles and is available to answer questions.
Continuous monitoring and improvement of air quality is crucial to protect both the environment and the health of people in urban areas. Despite clear progress, it remains essential to act responsibly and work on a real improvement in air quality in the long term.