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Ambient Air Quality
Air quality was and is measured by "Hydromet" (Hydrometeorological
Department, formerly Hydrometeorological Service), which is now part of the MoE. In the
past "Hydromet" exploited 34 stationary measuring stations in 11 towns.
Concentrations of dust, SO2, NOx and CO` were measured.
Additionally, based on the actual technological processes of industrial enterprises
located in the town, concentrations of some specific substances were measured. For
example, in Tbilisi phenol and formaldehyde concentrations were measured, in Rustavi -
ammonia, in Kutaisi - phenol, in Batumi - manganese dioxide.
Tbilisi, Rustavi, Kutaisi and Zestafoni were included in the list of
the most polluted towns of the Soviet Union. Average annual concentrations of main
pollutants in ambient air of Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi and Batumi (data for Zestafoni is
not available) for the years 1985-1989 are presented in Table 3 of Appendix 1. Yearly
averaged air quality data (24 hours averages) for Tbilisi, covering the period 1988-1995 is presented in Table 4 of Appendix 1. Data on SO2 are not
included, since Hydromet specialists consider the latest Soviet methodology of SO2
concentration measurement to be incorrect. Due to the location of the monitoring stations,
data provided reflect mostly industrial pollution and not pollution from transport.
The following summary conclusions of the information can be made:
Carbon Monoxide: Lowest CO levels within the FSU limit of 3.0
mg/m3 were found in Batumi. Bad CO conditions were found in the other cities.
Worst CO conditions were reported for stations in Kutaisi and Tbilisi, with yearly average
CO levels (24 hours) were in the order of more than 2 times the limit. (Tbilisi station
no. 1, 2, 6 and 28). A tendency of worsening CO data was found in Tbilisi.
Nitrogen Dioxide: NO2 concentrations generally did
not meet the FSU limit of 0.04 mg/m3, except in the early period in Batumi
stations. After 1988, the situation worsened in all cities and NO2 limits were
not met even in Batumi.
Nitrogen Monoxide: NO concentrations generally met the FSU limit of
0.06 mg/m3, except in Rustavi station no. 9, likely affected by the plume of
the Gardabini stack. The limit was in this case exceeded by a factor 1.4.
Dust: The former FSU limit of 0.15 mg/m3 was
exceeded virtually everywhere, except in the Batumi stations no. 1 and 2. Worst conditions
were reported for stations no. 2, 3, 4 and 8 in Kutaisi. An absolute maximum yearly
averaged dust concentration of 1.6 mg/m3 (24 hours), more than 12 times the FSU
limit value, was recorded in Kutaisi station no. 4. This could be due to the litophone
plant, operating near the city center.
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