Impact

Impact of ambient air quality. In general, the ambient air quality in Armenia improved in the last year as a consequence of the sharp decrease of air emissions. The main air polluting sectors, traffic and industry, are concentrated in the four largest cities (Yerevan, Ararat, Vanadzor and Hrazdan), Yerevan being the most burdened among them (Table). The situation is worsened by their physical location, all of which are in valleys between mountain ranges, where calm weather and temperature inversions tend to collect and retain emissions. Therefore more than half of the Armenian population is exposed to occasionally high concentration of air pollutants. The four basic pollutants (SO2, CO, NO2 and dust) are monitored, and some site-specific pollutants according to the decision of the Air Protection Department of MNP. There are no ground level ozone monitoring data available, data on lead and other heavy metals as well as organic matter are scarce. Likewise, no information on PM 10 or PM 2,5 is available.
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Trends in air pollution (according to monitoring results) are shown in the Table below. In 1987, MPCS were exceeded almost for each of the monitored pollutants is the most polluted cities. The air quality improved along with the decreasing production volume, but exceeding still occur in Yerevan.

Ambient air quality in selected towns, 1987-1996
  Yerevan Vanadzor Hrazdan Alaverdi
Pollutant SP CO NOx CO2 SP CO NOx CO2 SP CO NOx CO2 SP CO NOx CO2
MPC (mg/m3*) 0.15 3 0.04 0.05 0.15 3 0.04 0.05 0.15 3 0.04 0.05 0.15 3 0.04 0.05
1987 0.5 7 0.12 0.14 0.5 5 0.29 0.24 0.6 3 0.08 0.22 0.1 2 0.02 0.23
1993 0.5 4 0.11 0.20 0.2 2 0.04 0.02 0.3 - 0.05 0.18 0.1 1 0.04 0.02
1994 0.4 4 0.10 0.16 0.1 2 0.02 0.05 0.3 - 0.05 0.19 0.1 1 0.04 0.02
1995 0.4 4 0.08 0.09 0.2 2 0.02 0.04 - - - - 0.1 1 0.03 0.02
1996 0.4 4 0.12 0.14 0.2 2 0.02 0.03 - - - - 0.1 1 0.03 0.02
* Daily average
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SO2 pollution was mostly critical in Alaverdi, where the copper smelter is located. In the period 1987-89, extreme concentrations of SO2 had occurred, up to a value of 17 times the MPC. After closing down smelter in 1989, air quality improved, but with the recent restarting of production (1998) without a functioning SO2 abatement, it can be expected to become critical again.
MPC for particulate matter is exceeded in the biggest cities. This is alarming due to the possibility that other hazardous substances, such as heavy metals or 		persistent organic pollutants, may be absorbed on the surface of the particles.
The NO2 and CO concentrations are not so alarming, even if the MPCs are not always met, as the Armenian standards are more stringent than the WHO guiding values. According to older but also recent measurements, air pollution by lead is a serious health risk. During the period 1988-91, 10 to 16-fold MPC exceedances were measured in Yerevan and Alaverdi. According to recent measurements (1997), the MPC value in Yerevan was still exceeded 3 to 6-fold.
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References:
  • State of the Environment Report of Armenia 1998.
  • Environmental Performance Review of Armenia, 2000 (EPRA).
  • National Environmental Action Program - Armenia, Main Report, Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia, 2000.
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