Air quality has been poor since the start of the weekend in New Aquitaine, particularly in Gironde and Charente
The fine particle pollution detected this Thursday in Bordeaux and Pau has spread to a large part of the region this weekend. Like Saturday, the air quality in the Southwest is poor this Sunday. However, it has improved in Bordeaux, which has gone from looking very bad to bad, according to Atmo Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
The wood heating in question
In the Gironde capital, the air quality monitoring association warns of pollution with PM 2.5 and PM 10 particles. A prefectural device was also triggered on Saturday and was still in force this Sunday. “PM10 suspended particulate levels exceeded during the day of the [samedi] January 15, the alert threshold (80 µg/m3 on daily average)”, specifies Atmo on its website.
PM10 levels increase due to low temperatures favoring the release of particles linked to the heating of housing, in particular wood heating. “The other sources of particles (road traffic, industries, etc.) also contribute, to a lesser extent, to these PM10 levels. As a result, the maximum authorized speed has been reduced by 20 km/h on certain lanes. It is also recommended that vulnerable and sensitive people reduce their movements and physical activities.
Very poor air quality in Angouleme
On the other hand, the air quality deteriorated in Angoulême since the index went from bad to very bad. An information and recommendation system has therefore been set up in Charente. This Charente pollution episode should persist on Monday January 17, warns Atmo.
In the rest of the region, the situation should remain stable on Monday, with the exception of the Bordeaux area where the air quality could once again be very poor. “Levels of PM10 and PM2.5 particulates are expected to remain high for longer [lundi], due to stable weather conditions favoring the accumulation of pollutants”, warns Atmo.