Over 61,000 Cases of Air Pollution Exceeding Permissible Levels Recorded in Astana in 2024

In the capital of Kazakhstan, the air quality has consistently remained at a «high» pollution level over the past seven years due to emissions from thermal power plants (TPPs), household heating, and vehicle exhaust. In 2024 alone, more than 61,000 cases of air pollution exceeding the permissible concentration of harmful substances were recorded in Astana.

Astana is located in the center of Kazakhstan and has a sharply continental climate, characterized by hot and dry summers, cold and long winters, and frequent strong winds. However, the creation of the “Green Belt” through mass tree planting and large-scale urban development has increased the number of calm wind days.

Astana is not an industrial center; TPPs provide residents with heat and electricity. The city is not gasified, and private homes use solid fuels for heating, which negatively affects air quality. Periods of dense, suffocating smog are becoming more frequent and prolonged, mainly due to intensive heating in private households.

The main emissions from TPPs and household heating include suspended particles, carbon and nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

Astana leads other Kazakhstani cities in population growth, not only due to natural residents but also due to migration from other regions. As a result, the number of vehicles in the city is rapidly increasing, and traffic congestion has become common in recent years, contributing significantly to air pollution.

Air quality monitoring in Astana is conducted at 10 stationary posts:

- at 4 posts, air samples are manually collected three to four times daily and analyzed for 20 parameters: 1) suspended particles (dust), 2) sulfur dioxide, 3) carbon monoxide, 4) nitrogen dioxide, 5) nitrogen oxide, 6) hydrogen fluoride, 7) benzo[a]pyrene, 8) benzene, 9) ethylbenzene, 10) chlorobenzene, 11) paraxylene, 12) metaxylene, 13) cumene, 14) orthoxylene, 15) cadmium, 16) copper, 17) lead, 18) zinc, 19) chromium, 20) arsenic;

- At 6 automated monitoring stations, data are recorded every 20 minutes for 8 parameters: 1) PM-2.5 particles, 2) PM-10 particles, 3) sulfur dioxide, 4) carbon monoxide, 5) nitrogen dioxide, 6) nitrogen oxide, 7) hydrogen sulfide, 8) ozone.

In addition, a mobile laboratory operates in the city, measuring air quality three times daily at 11 locations for 6 parameters: 1) suspended particles (dust), 2) sulfur dioxide, 3) nitrogen dioxide, 4) carbon monoxide, 5) hydrogen fluoride, 6) hydrogen sulfide.

According to RSE «Kazhydromet,» the Air Pollution Index in Astana was assessed as «low» in 2015, «elevated» in 2017, and «high» in 2016 and 2018–2024.

In 2023, monitoring stations recorded 72,546 cases of exceeding the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of harmful substances, while in 2024 — 61,376 cases.

For comparison, in Almaty last year, 31,960 cases of exceeding the MPC of harmful substances were recorded.

The main air pollutants in the capital are sulfur and nitrogen dioxide, carbon and nitrogen oxides, PM-2.5 and PM-10 particles, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and ozone.