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Augsburg's fine dust levels are breaking records - firecracker ban has no effect!
Neuwied recorded the second highest fine dust levels in Germany at the turn of the year 2025/26. A look at the causes and effects.
Augsburg's fine dust levels are breaking records - firecracker ban has no effect!
With the turn of the year 2025/26, the cities of Augsburg, Munich and Neuwied will be the focus of the discussion about fine dust levels. Loud DAZ Augsburg Augsburg reached an alarming value of 524 µg/m³ at the Karlstraße measuring station on the night of January 1st, 2026. This makes Augsburg one of the hotspots for air pollution in Germany, while the highest values were measured in Munich at 1,458 µg/m³. Neuwied follows with 721 µg/m³. This clearly shows that efforts to improve air quality are far from enough.
A surprising factor in this fine dust debate is the local ban on firecrackers, which only includes a 1.5 kilometer wide ban zone from the main train station to Jakobertor and from Ulrichsplatz to Stephingerberg. As it turns out, the drift effect can lead to fine dust from neighboring city areas still penetrating the prohibited zone. In addition, the architecture of Karlstrasse promotes the accumulation of fine dust due to a stagnant column of air.
Insight into the measurement data
The measurement data from Augsburg reveal a worrying picture of air quality. While pleasing values of only 87 µg/m³ were recorded in 2024 due to wind and rain, the values rose to a maximum value of 1,564 µg/m³ in 2025 with no wind and high humidity. Compared to the legal EU requirements, which set a daily limit of 50 µg/m³, Augsburg has regularly exceeded this limit and most recently on January 1, 2026 with 57 µg/m³. The proportion of fine dust particles (PM10) is particularly dangerous to health as they can penetrate deep into the body and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The EU is now planning to tighten the limit values by 2030: the daily limit value for fine dust is to fall to 45 µg/m³, with only 18 permissible exceedances per year, and an annual average value of 20 µg/m³. ADAC emphasizes that the current limit values are almost being met in many places, but further efforts are necessary to achieve these goals.
The big picture
In 2024, the Federal Environment Agency showed that all air quality limits were met, which can be attributed to various comprehensive air pollution control measures. These include the electrification of public transport buses, exhaust aftertreatment and speed reductions. Dirk Messner, President of the Federal Environment Agency, stated that despite compliance with the limit values, additional measures are necessary to further improve air quality. The direction sounds promising: the EU is getting closer and closer to the WHO's recommendations, but the path still has to be taken in order to achieve the set goals.
The coming years will be crucial in sustainably improving the air quality in our cities - and it remains to be seen whether Augsburg, like many other cities, can take up the challenge. In particular, the focus on technical solutions to reduce emissions and promoting the switch to electric vehicles will play a central role. It's clear: There's something going on, and responsibility begins in your own neighborhood.