On the evening of September 18th, there was a sharp rise in the concentration of PM2.5 and, particularly, PM10 dust particles in Tashkent. Experts determined that this deterioration in air quality was the result of a combination of several factors: dry weather, dust lifting, temperature inversion, and insufficient air circulation.
According to data from monitoring stations, the increase in pollution began after 18:00 and reached its peak between 21:00 and 23:00. During this critical period, the PM10 level in some areas exceeded the mark of 500 µg/m³, indicating a large amount of coarse dust particles.
Specialists explain that the dry weather contributed to the lifting of dust from the road surface and soil. At the same time, temperature inversion combined with weak wind in the evening and night prevented the rapid dispersion of these pollutants. Furthermore, air currents brought dust masses from western and northwestern regions of the country.
It is important to note that the levels of other gaseous pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen fluoride, phenol, and formaldehyde, remained within normal limits. The situation arose due to a combination of factors: prolonged dryness facilitated dust uplift, while the lack of strong wind and temperature inversion delayed its dispersion.
After midnight, the particle concentration began to decrease, and by morning, the indicators returned to a moderate level. Ecologists qualified this phenomenon as a short-term dust episode. However, the forecast for the evening of September 19th warns of a possible recurrence of deterioration, as the index may fall into the 'harmful to sensitive groups' category from 21:00 to 04:00. It is expected that the polluted mass will move to the southwest in the morning, leading to an improvement in air quality.
Earlier, in the Yunusabad district of Tashkent, specialists began searching for the source of pollution after receiving complaints from local residents and recording elevated PM2.5 and PM10 values.
