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Smog over Bishkek
Every year during the heating season, smog hangs over the city of Bishkek, which does not disappear for a long time. Air pollution is one of the national environmental problems in the country. Due to weather conditions, a veil of harmful particles hangs in one place, without scattering or settling. Smog is made up of several pollutants: sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, ammonia. Smog contains pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, benzopyrene, as well as heavy metals: lead, cadmium and others. The most polluted area is the central part of the city and the private sector during the heating season.

Reasons
Boiler furnaces in the private sector.

In outdated stoves, coal does not burn completely, which leads to increased heating costs, and the low temperature of fuel combustion generates even more toxic gases. When burning garbage in furnaces, the most dangerous combustion products are released.

Exhaust gases of cars.

They are one of the main sources of smog and air pollution during summer days. The limit of vehicles in Bishkek has been exceeded dozens of times. Most of the cars in the city have already passed their useful life and are dangerous for the environment. According to the State Registration Service, at the end of 2018, almost 420,000 cars were registered in the capital. In addition to cars, the air in Bishkek is also polluted by minibuses that refuel with diesel. Fine soot particles emitted by diesel enter the lungs and increase the risk of stroke and heart attack. In 2012, the Kyrgyz authorities abolished the mandatory technical inspection of private cars. Now only owners of commercial vehicles pass it. According to the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry of the Kyrgyz Republic, annually the total volume of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere of Bishkek is 240,000 tons, of which 180,000 are from motor vehicles.

Industrial emissions.

Plants, factories, thermal power plants, when using low-quality fuel and outdated equipment, emit hazardous pollutants into the atmosphere. Small industrial enterprises working in the field of processing are the most toxic.

Burning garbage and leaves.

Most of the incinerated waste consists of various types of plastic packaging in combination with various waste and household chemicals. When burning, a "toxic cocktail" is obtained with the release of toxic volatile compounds. Thick gray smoke rising from slowly smoldering heaps of foliage consists of: carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide), soot microparticles, nitric oxide, and various carcinogenic compounds. Part of the nitrogen that makes up the leaves is oxidized first to oxide, and then to dioxide of this gas, turning into a toxic substance, surpassing even carbon monoxide in its toxic effect. Due to the complex chemical composition of the foliage, as well as combustion with a lack of oxygen, various carcinogenic compounds are formed that adversely affect humans.

Cutting down trees and reducing green areas.

Trees and shrubs are the only natural factor in cities that can reduce the amount of air pollution. The reduction of green areas leads to a decrease in the natural filtration of humidification and air cooling.

The effects of smog
Smog causes respiratory diseases, and also leads to oncology and allergies, the biologist said. He noted that among the cities of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek is the leader in the number of such diseases per capitaд.

Ways to reduce smog
Unload roads from traffic jams

During traffic jams, a large amount of exhaust gases are produced. To reduce traffic jams and unload roads, Maria Kolesnikova, the head of MoveGreen, suggests that the city authorities use reverse traffic. This is a mode that gives an extra lane on a busy stretch of road.

According to the WHO, an effective way to combat air pollution is to stop burning solid fuels and garbage.

“However, the fulfillment of these requirements cannot be required from people with low incomes. Therefore, without improving the welfare of the population, it is difficult to cope with the problem on the scale of a single family. Addressing air pollution issues is one of the top priorities for governments around the world. There are many ways to reduce the release of hazardous substances: the use of environmentally friendly transport, fuel for heating and cooking, the construction of energy-efficient houses, urban planning, energy production without emissions, the introduction of safe industrial technologies, etc., the WHO concluded.