Lüneburg's air quality in check: fine dust levels alarming today!

Lüneburg's air quality in check: fine dust levels alarming today!

October 18, 2025 will bring fresh data on air quality in Lüneburg, which will be recorded by the measuring station on Zeppelinstrasse. Fine dust (PM10) in particular plays a crucial role. The prescribed limit for PM10 is 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, and the good news is that this can only be exceeded a maximum of 35 times per year. Not only fine dust is analyzed, but also nitrogen dioxide and ozone. The levels of these substances are rated in different categorizations – from “very bad” to “very good” – and can have significant effects on health. According to Landeszeitung, the recommendations for bad air are clear: sensitive People should exercise restraint when outdoors if possible.

But what is the status of the fine dust? Every year there is more discussion about harmful fine dust particles. In fact, there has been a significant reduction in fine dust emissions in Germany since 1995. They fell from 0.34 million tons to 0.18 million tons in 2023. That's at least 45.7 percent less. One reason for this is that emissions from production processes, especially in the metal and mineral industries, are falling sharply. This information comes from Umweltbundesamt.

The causes of air pollution

The causes of air pollution are diverse. According to the Federal Environment Agency, 44.5 percent of PM10 emissions come from production processes, while road traffic generates over 82 percent of PM10 emissions from abrasion from tires, brakes and the road surface. This is particularly addressed by the Euro7 standard, which will soon focus on measures to reduce these abrasive particle emissions. Another important point is agriculture, which has increased its share of PM10 emissions from 10.8 percent in 1995 to 19.5 percent in 2023, mainly due to animal husbandry and land use.

Air pollutants not only have a negative impact on human health, but also on flora and fauna as well as the quality of water and soil. A report by Statista shows that despite significant declines in emissions over the last 30 years, some places in Germany still exceed the limit values. Cities that have repeatedly been in the headlines in recent years, such as Munich and Essen, which have high levels of nitrogen dioxide, are particularly affected.

Health risks

Fine dust can not only cause short-term health problems, but is also responsible for long-term effects. While sensitive people should avoid exercising outdoors on days with “poor” to “very poor” air quality, there are hardly any acute dangers with “moderate” air quality, but health risks can arise with long-term exposure. These findings are particularly relevant considering that around 240,000 premature deaths were caused by particulate matter in the EU.

Although New Year's Eve fireworks represent a small part of annual fine dust emissions, the 1,500 tons released on New Year's Eve should not be underestimated. This corresponds to around 75 percent of annual fine dust emissions - a good reason to think about the health consequences.

Overall, it shows that the development of air quality remains an important issue. Everyone should take good care of their own health and take the recommended measures to enjoy time in the fresh air when there is high particulate matter pollution.