Alarming ozone levels in Bottrop: health risk for the population!

Alarming ozone levels in Bottrop: health risk for the population!

There is a worrying picture in terms of air quality in Cologne today. The Bottrop-Welheim measuring station recorded high ozone values ​​of 192 µg/m³, which are well above the recommended limit value. The Federal Environment Agency classifies the air quality of the last four hours as “poor”, which can be particularly stressful for risk groups. The air quality index is in the red, which puts the health of sensitive people at considerable risk. At such high ozone levels, these can develop respiratory diseases or worsen existing complaints, warns news.de.

In the city, these high values ​​are primarily due to traffic and industry. Ozone is a toxic gas that affects the respiratory tract and therefore poses a serious health risk to many people. The expert advice recommends that particularly sensitive groups should avoid outdoor exertion on such days.

A critical situation

The current ozone pollution in Cologne is not just a short-term phenomenon. Historically, there have been some worrying moments in recent years. The maximum values ​​in urban areas this year have already been 185 µg/m³ and 175 µg/m³ on other days, which shows that air quality in urban areas is often critical. A comparison with the last three months shows how high the values ​​can fluctuate, with them rising to 192 µg/m³ in August 2025, while August 1, 2025 is considered one of the cleanest air qualities with 55 µg/m³.

The Federal Environment Agency has set clear guidelines for ozone pollution: The information threshold is 180 µg/m³ and the alarm threshold is 240 µg/m³. These values ​​have been set specifically to protect the population. Fortunately, there has been a general decline in ozone levels since 1995, but the long-term maintenance of the target value of 120 µg/m³ has so far hardly been met at any station, as umweltbundesamt.de reports.

Health effects

But what does this air pollution mean for the health of Cologne residents? According to bafu.admin.ch, air pollution is a proven cause of numerous illnesses and can even lead to premature deaths. People with existing respiratory diseases and children, whose development may be impaired by pollution, are particularly at risk. Shortness of breath, bronchitis and respiratory infections are just some of the possible consequences of excessive exposure to pollutants.

The findings indicate an urgent need for action to improve air quality in our city. Measures to reduce pollutant emissions, especially from transport, could not only promote air purity, but also protect the health of the population in the long term.