The fine particles that cause
smog broke safe limits in five Italian cities for 18 days in
January, environmental group Legambiente said Thursday.
The cities were Milan, Turin, Padua and Treviso in northern
Italy, and Frosinone between Rome and Naples, it said in its
'Mal'aria' (Bad Air) report.
The levels were exceeded for 16 days in Naples and 15 in
Rome, the report added.
Last year, the association said, some 26 urban centres
exceeded the safe levels for PM10 fine particles and for ozone
too.
Turin was top with 147 days over the limit (86 for PM10 and
61 for ozone), followed by Lodi and Pavia, all in the north.
Looking back over the last 10 years, Legambiente said 28% of
monitored cities exceeded daily safe PM10 limits every year.
Turin was top in seven out of 10 cases, with a total of 1,086
days of city air pollution.
Frosinone was the only other city to exceed 1,000 days.
A smog emergency abated in northern Italy early this week,
sources said Monday.
The level of dangerous PM10 fine particles dropped below
alert levels in Milan, Turin, Cremona, Pavia and Mantua.
Anti-smog car bans have ended in these and other northern
cities.
In Turin, in particular, the particles have been swept away
by rain and wind.
Diesel cars started circulating again there from Tuesday.
Environment Minister Sergio Costa said the government had
enough resources for fighting smog.
"The funds are there, and they are structural," he said.
He said that the "whole of the Po basin is continuing to
suffer".
In Milan, to fight smog, Mayor Beppe Sala has announced a ban
on smoking at bus and tram stops.
He said that in 10 years' time smoking would only be allowed
in private residences.
photo: Turin
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