A new study has revealed that particle pollution in the Balkans is the highest in Europe, with Sarajevo experiencing levels that often surpass those in Beijing and sometimes rank among the worst globally. Researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland conducted the study, which found that in winter, sulphur dioxide in the region can be over 30 times greater than in western Europe.
The PSI team used a specially adapted van fitted with state-of-the-art air pollution sensors to drive circuits of Sarajevo during winter. Each circuit took about 90 minutes, with the team covering up to six circuits daily. They found that residential areas were the worst polluted, primarily due to home heating with wood, coal, and rubbish, which released high levels of cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Professor Andre Prevot of the PSI noted that the smell of grilling in the city centre was so strong that on some days it felt like being in northern India. The study showed that restaurant cooking dominated particle pollution in the centre, while an ageing vehicle fleet—with an average age of 19 years, and 10% pre-dating modern European exhaust standards—added to the problem. In contrast, the average car in the UK in 2024 was 10 years old.
The study found that even a part of the particle pollution mixture exceeded the World Health Organization's daily guideline 66% of the time, often by more than eight times. An estimated 3,300 people die early each year from particle pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina alone.
Previous United Nations Development Programme recommendations include home insulation, central heating, heat pumps, stove inspections, and public information. The PSI's Michael Bauer confirmed that existing plans to reduce solid fuel heating in nine priority areas by 90% by 2033 are "desperately needed," but added that other sources should not be ignored.
