Air pollution in Turkey
Air pollution in Turkey is the most lethal environmental issue in Turkey. An estimated 30,000 people die each year from air pollution-related illnesses. Air pollution is particularly significant in urban areas especially Istanbul, Ankara, Erzurum, and Bursa, where the combustion of heating fuels increases particulate density in winter. Almost all the urban population is exposed to particulate matter emissions higher than the EU and World Health Organization limits. "Air pollution in urban centers, often caused by transport, and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems" and is one of the worst in the OECD according to a 2019 study by the Health Effects Institute. Although there is some monitoring of air pollution compared with other European countries, many air pollution indicators are not available. Regulations in Turkey do not contain any restrictions on the pollutant PM 2.5, which causes lung diseases. Researchers estimate that reducing air pollution to World Health Organization limits would save 7 times the number of lives that were lost in traffic accidents in 2017. Turkey has not signed the Gothenburg Protocol.
Traffic
Especially in Istanbul, increased car ownership causes frequent urban smog conditions. Increasing Turkey's proportion of electric cars in use to 10% by 2030 would have many benefits. In 2019 about 45% of cars were over 10 years old and energy inefficient.Residential Heating
is still burnt for home heating in low-income districts of Ankara and some other cities.Coal-fired power stations
Greenpeace Mediterranean claim that the Afşin-Elbistan coal-fired plant is the power plant with the highest health risk in Europe, followed by the Soma coal-fired power plant, also from Turkey.Flue gas emission limits
In 2019 flue gas emission limits in mg/Nm3 for power stations under 50MW and those built before 2015 were:| Installed capacity of power plant | Dust | SO2 | NO2 | CO |
| 0.5 MW ≤ capacity < 5 MW | 200 | see cited source | see cited source | 200 |
| 5 MW ≤ capacity < 50 MW | 150 | see cited source | see cited source | 200 |
| 50 MW ≤ capacity < 100 MW | 100 | 2000 | 600 | 200 |
| 100 MW ≤ capacity < 500 MW | 100 | 2000 – 400 | 600 | 200 |
| capacity ≥ 500 MW | 50 | 400 | 200 | 200 |
On 1st January 2020 flue gas emission limits in mg/Nm3 for all plants of 50MW and over became:
| Size of power station | Dust | SO2 | NO2 | CO |
| 50 MW ≤ capacity < 100 MW | 50 | 850 | 400 | 150 |
| capacity ≥ 100 MW | 30 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
The limits are laxer than the EU Industrial Emissions Directive. The SO2 limit for large coal-fired power plants in India is 100 mg/m3 and in China is 35 mg/m3.
Types
Particulates
PM2.5 is above World Health Organization guidelines and is at dangerous levels in several cities.Volatile organic compounds
levels of volatile organic compounds in Istanbul were on average similar to those in London and Paris but more variable, with maxima usually exceeding 10 ppb.Persistent organic pollutants
The emission levels of persistent organic pollutants are not reported.Greenhouse gases
Turkey emits one percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.Illness and deaths
Air pollution is a health risk due to burning fossil fuels, and vehicle emissions.Average loss of life is estimated to be 0.2 years per person but this will vary by location because, as of 2019, air pollution is severe in some cities. It also increases the risk from respiratory infections, such as covid-19, especially in highly polluted cities such as Zonguldak.
Istanbul
measured with the air quality index Istanbul's air affects the hearts and respiratory systems even of healthy individuals during busy traffic.Economics
A study of 2015/16 hospital admissions in Erzincan estimated direct costs as 2.5% of the total health-related expenditures for the 15–34 and over 65 age groups, but stated that the total cost is likely much higher, for example the economic costs of the reductions in the intelligence of adults and children have not been estimated.A 2018 study put the health benefits at over 2,800 premature deaths avoided per year and a substantial increase in GDP because of reduced PM 2.5 air pollution in the country. Although improved health would be the primary benefit of cutting air pollution in Turkey, because most of the air pollution is caused by burning fossil fuels a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by Turkey would be a co-benefit; for example of low emission zones for city traffic, and replacing the distribution of free coal with a different support for poor families.