Increase in the Number of Vehicles Negatively Affects Air Quality in Aktau

The air quality in Kazakhstan's main seaport city, Aktau, has been gradually deteriorating. Despite the absence of industrial enterprises in the residential area, the city has consistently had a high level of atmospheric pollution over the past three years. The primary reason for this is the increase in the number of vehicles. 

Aktau is the regional center of Mangystau province. The city is located on the shore of the Caspian Sea and is characterized by a desert climate with very hot summers.

Most of the industrial enterprises (oil refining and chemical plants) are located in Mangystau province.

5 kilometers from the city is the Koshkar-Ata tailings storage. The lake serves as an analog of a “wet” radioactive waste storage facility, where water absorbs most of the radiation. 

In the city, the primary source of air pollution is transport, as the industrial enterprises are located outside the residential area and have sanitary protection zones of required sizes.

Additionally, dust from quarries and an imperfect waste management system also contribute to air pollution.

Air quality monitoring in Aktau is carried out at 4 stationary posts:

- At 2 posts, manual air sampling is conducted three times a day for 6 parameters: 1) suspended particles (dust), 2) nitrogen dioxide, 3) nitrogen oxide, 4) sulfur dioxide, 5) carbon monoxide, 6) sulfuric acid;

- At 2 automated monitoring stations, data are recorded every 20 minutes for 6 parameters: 1) PM-2.5 suspended particles, 2) PM-10 suspended particles, 3) sulfur dioxide, 4) hydrogen sulfide, 5) ground-level ozone, 6) carbon monoxide.

Two indices are used to assess air quality: 

- Atmospheric Pollution Index (hereinafter – API) – a metric that considers the concentrations of several key pollutants and their effects on human health. It uses daily or annual average concentrations to determine chronic pollution levels;

- Standard Index (hereinafter – SI) – the ratio of the highest measured one-time concentration of a pollutant to its maximum permissible concentration. It helps identify the most polluting substance at a specific post or in the city and is used to assess short-term air pollution.

According to RSE “Kazhydromet,” in Aktau, the air pollution index in 2015, 2016, and 2020 was assessed as “low” (API 3-4), in 2017, 2019, and 2021 as “elevated”, and in 2018, 2022 as “high.” The level of air pollution in 2023 and 2024 was assessed as high according to the SI.

The primary pollutants in Aktau’s air are hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide. In 2024, monitoring stations recorded 1,564 instances of exceeding the maximum permissible concentration of harmful substances.