Reference is made to the article “There’s something in the air” of 13 May 2018, and to a number of statements made on air quality in Malta, specifically on particulate matter (mostly PM10) levels in Malta. The Environment and Resources Authority confirms that traffic is the main source of anthropogenic (that is ‘man made’) PM10 in the Maltese Islands. However, it is to be clarified that none of the air monitoring stations situated in various locations around the Maltese Islands have, over the past five years, exceeded the environmental quality objectives, or the so called “limit values” mandated by national and European Union legislation.
This does not mean that no action should be taken to curb traffic flows and related emissions, however the Authority considers that statements on “dangerous levels of PM10 pollution” are considered to be misleading. By way of clarification, PM10 levels at Msida station (which is a traffic site) are normally hovering below the limit. The situation is not helped by the fact that Saharan dust and sea salt aerosols contribute significantly to these levels and health implications cannot be excluded for either the man-made or the natural components.
In addition, the Authority wishes to clarify that Malta’s uniqueness amongst European Member States plays a significant role and should be taken into account when interpreting statistics in reports comparing European member states amongst each other. In size and population density, Malta compares more to a major city within Europe than to a whole European state with expanses of open spaces. In addition, being a small island with significant exposure to sea spray, our geographical location in close proximity to North Africa and in particular to the Sahara need also to be taken into consideration. These unique circumstances are not accounted for in reports such as that published by the European Environment Agency, making Malta appear to perform ‘worse’ than other countries which do not suffer from similar geographical specificities and climatic conditions.
Apart from the real time data which is already available from each monitoring station on its website, the Authority is in the process of finalising an ‘air quality index’, which will provide the general public with information on air quality levels in Malta. This information will be provided for every station and pollutant, including that of particulate matter, which might be of a health concern if present at high levels.
