Environmental protection

Air pollution is still too high

An exhaust "hotspot": the Bärenkreuzung intersection in Feldkirch.

(Bild: Stadt Feldkirch)

Although the limit values were met in Vorarlberg in 2024, there is still room for improvement in terms of air quality from a health perspective.

The legal limits for air pollution are significantly higher than the guideline values set by the World Health Organization. If the latter are taken as a benchmark, then according to an analysis by Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ), the health safety limit was exceeded at seven nitrogen dioxide measuring points and at both PM2.5 particulate matter measuring points in Vorarlberg. "Thanks to numerous measures, air pollution in Vorarlberg has decreased significantly over the past 20 years. But the levels of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide NO2 are still too high from a health perspective," says VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky, summarizing the results based on data from the Federal Environment Agency.

Poor air quality has many negative effects
The EU has also recognized that the current pollutant limits are too high, which is why adjustments have been decided. However, these will not come into force until 2030 - and they are still twice as high as the values recommended by the WHO. Environmental physician Hans-Peter Hutter from the Medical University of Vienna warns of the health damage caused by pollutants: "Car exhaust gases such as ultrafine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and the like are really bad. Air pollution was classified as a proven carcinogen more than ten years ago. In addition to diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, there is also increasing evidence of consequences for the brain - keyword dementia. Particles also promote diabetes and neurodermatitis. Unfortunately, the health consequences have long been downplayed."

In Vorarlberg, nitrogen dioxide pollution is a particular problem. The future EU limit value was exceeded at three measuring points, reports the VCÖ. Unsurprisingly, pollution was highest at the Bärenkreuzung intersection in Feldkirch with an annual average of 25 micrograms of NO2 per cubic meter of air, followed by the Lustenau customs office (24 micrograms of NO2) and the Höchster municipal office (22 micrograms of NO2). The guideline value recommended by the WHO was exceeded at four other measuring points. There are only two measuring points for PM2.5 particulate matter in Vorarlberg, in Lustenau and Dornbirn. In the previous year, the annual average value recommended from a health perspective was exceeded at both measuring points.