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Tirana and Elbasan "under the rule" of dust, report reveals the main air pollutants

Politiko 2026-07-24 14:56:41

Tirana and Elbasan "under the rule" of dust, report reveals the main

Tirana and Elbasan continue to have high levels of PM10 particles (fine dust that remains suspended in the air and can penetrate the respiratory tract) exceeding the annual permitted limits.

Elbasan is also the only city where the norm for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) has been exceeded. At least that is what the National Environment Agency (NEA)'s 2025 State of the Environment Report shows.
The report is based on air quality monitoring at nine stations in Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan, Shkodër, Korçë and Fier. The measurements include the main air pollutants, such as PM10 and PM2.5 dust particles, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO) and benzene, to assess whether the air meets national and European Union standards.

According to the NEA, PM10 are dust particles with a diameter of up to 10 micrometers, which are created mainly by road traffic, industrial activities, fuel heating and other sources. The report emphasizes that these particles can cause or worsen heart and lung diseases, while long-term exposure is also associated with higher health risks.

During the period July-December 2025, the annual norm for PM10 was exceeded at two monitoring stations. At the “Tirana Higjena” station, an average of 57.66 micrograms per cubic meter was recorded, or 44% above the allowed limit, while in Elbasan the value reached 59.72 micrograms per cubic meter, 49% above the norm.

The report also highlights that at the "Tirana Higjena" station, 33 days were recorded with PM10 concentrations above the daily allowed limit, out of the maximum of 35 days that the standard allows within a year.

For even finer PM2.5 particles, which penetrate deeper into the lungs, the NEA reports that no exceedance of the annual norm was found at any of the monitored stations, although the values in Korça resulted close to the permitted limit.

Regarding nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), a pollutant mainly associated with vehicle exhaust and industrial activity, exceeding the annual limit value was recorded only in Elbasan, where the average reached 40.18 micrograms per cubic meter.

For other pollutants, the NEA states that no exceedances of the limits for sulfur dioxide (SO₂) have been recorded. Meanwhile, exceedances of the eight-hour norm for ozone have been recorded in Fier, Korça, Shkodra and in two stations in Tirana, while for carbon monoxide the exceedance was recorded only in Fier. For benzene, no exceedance of the annual norm has been recorded in any station.

In the report's conclusions, the NEA assesses that "the air quality in the monitored cities is not of a very good level". According to the institution, the main pollutant remains PM10 particles, especially in the "Tirana Higjena" and Elbasan stations, where the main source of pollution is identified as road traffic. Multi-year monitoring shows that the main sources of air pollution in Albania are related to traffic, construction activities and the use of fossil fuels for heating. Monitor