Suche
Mein Konto
Munich in fine dust chaos: highest air pollution in the world!
On June 10, 2025, Munich is struggling with extreme air pollution from soot particles from Canada. Health risks are alarming.
Munich in fine dust chaos: highest air pollution in the world!
Lots of room to breathe? These days, rather less, especially for the Munich population. Massive forest fires in Canada have released soot particles that spread a long way to Germany. Air quality is increasingly suffering, and fine dust measuring stations are urgently warning of a worrying situation. How Focus According to reports, Munich was the city with the highest air pollution in the world on Tuesday afternoon, ahead of Delhi - a worrying top spot.
Visibility in the city has decreased significantly and the air quality also leaves a lot to be desired. Experts warn that this soot cloud, which is being transported to Europe by an Azores high, poses a serious problem not only for Munich, but for large parts of Europe. In the evening, Munich fell back to fourth place in the air pollution rankings, but the health risks should not be underestimated.
A vicious circle of air pollution
The question of why we already have to struggle with such stress has been answered World with a look at the reality of German drivers who have invested immense sums in conversions in order to be able to drive in environmental zones. Nevertheless, particulate matter pollution remains high and many cities are at risk of failing to meet the strict EU requirements for air pollution control. Current measurement data from the Federal Environment Agency show alarming figures: In Silbersteinstrasse in Berlin, for example, 33 daily average values have already been exceeded.
Although environmental protection measures such as the introduction of environmental zones have been taken, the situation does not appear to have improved significantly. The Federal Environment Agency sees road traffic as the main cause of the high levels of fine dust. Industry and heating systems also contribute to the problem. Marcel Langner, fine dust expert at Uba, calls for more measures and effective bans to counteract the harmful pollution.
Health risks and ecological consequences
The health risks of fine dust are serious. As the EEA explains, many deaths in the EU can be attributed to particulate matter (PM2.5), which equates to a significant shortening of life expectancy. In 2022, WHO estimated that over 239,000 deaths in the EU were due to air pollution. Fine dust can cause respiratory diseases, lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases - a serious threat to our health.
Air pollution remains the biggest environmental health risk in Europe. The EU aims to reduce particulate matter pollution by 55% by 2030 - an ambitious goal that seems difficult to achieve given the current situation. The introduction of new air quality standards is a step in the right direction, but it requires more than just regulations to truly clean the air.
The people of Munich, marked by the soot clouds, are now waiting for the weather to improve, which is forecast for the weekend. Thunderstorms and fresh air from the northwest could finally give the polluted air a boost. Maybe the weather is the only glimmer of hope in a seemingly endless merry-go-round of fine dust.