Environment Minister Costel Alexe says high levels of pollution in the Romanian capital registered overnight were caused by „suspicious night time activity” caused by people incinerating tires and stubble burning in a village north of the capital.
“It’s Spring and people clean up their yards and burn everything they find,” Alexe said Monday.
“We are suspicious about night time industrial activity in Ilfov county and Bucharest, which are released large quantities of pollutants into the atmosphere,” he said.
He said there were 69 companies in the capital and 46 companies in Ilfov county north of the capital authorized to burn waste. He announced checks at the companies this week.
He said 5,000 square meters of stubble was burned on a was burned in the village of Crevedia which contributed to the pollution.
He said eight air quality monitoring points registered excessive pollution overnight, with an eightfold increase at the Morii Lake station.
He said there were 189 micrograms of particulate matter or PM per cubic meter compared to the maximum allowed level of 25 micrograms per cubic meter from burning.
There was high levels of pollution caused by dust or pollen, he said.
