What is the air quality in Göttingen? The current values!

What is the air quality in Göttingen? The current values!

Today, October 28, 2025, we are in the midst of an important debate about air quality in urban areas. At a measuring station on Bürgerstrasse in Göttingen, the values ​​for fine dust, nitrogen dioxide and ozone are examined closely. These three parameters are crucial for assessing air quality and have a direct impact on people's health.

As the Göttinger Tageblatt reports, the limit value for fine dust is 50 micrograms per cubic meter, which may be exceeded a maximum of 35 times a year. Current measurements show that air quality is classified as “very bad”, “poor”, “moderate”, “good” or “very good” depending on the rating. The focus is particularly on the limit values ​​for nitrogen dioxide and ozone: experts consider values ​​above 200 μg/m³ for nitrogen dioxide or above 240 μg/m³ for ozone to be problematic.

The health dangers of air pollution

The European Environment Agency (EEA) points out that air pollution remains the biggest environmental health risk in Europe, especially in cities. In 2022, it is estimated that 239,000 people in the EU died as a result of PM2.5, the harmful fine dust. During the same period, ozone and nitrogen dioxide claimed many more lives. These figures are alarming and highlight the urgency of complying with the legal limits.

Significant progress has been made in improving air quality between 2005 and 2022. The number of deaths due to fine dust pollution fell by 45%. Nevertheless, the EU goal of reducing particulate matter pollution by 55% by 2030 remains a challenging task.

Recommendations for poor air quality

So what measures should be taken if the air quality is poor? In very poor conditions, experts recommend that sensitive people avoid physical exertion outdoors. If the air quality is “poor,” you should also avoid strenuous activities. Although there is less of a health risk due to moderate air quality, long-term effects cannot be ruled out and on good days the conditions for outdoor activities are almost perfect.

Particular attention is also paid to the New Year's Eve fireworks, which, as the environmental experts from the Federal Environment Agency note, produce high levels of fine dust in the short term. Around 2,050 tonnes of fine dust are released annually by fireworks, with 75% of this occurring on New Year's Eve. It is important to consider the environmental influences, especially when there are inversion weather conditions in the city, which can severely affect air quality.

In conclusion, the new EU air quality regulations, which came into force today and are more closely aligned with WHO standards, represent a positive step towards more sustainable and healthier air quality. Nevertheless, vigilance is still required to get the health risks of air pollution under control.