Lübeck in focus: How dangerous is the air quality today?

Lübeck in focus: How dangerous is the air quality today?

What is the air quality in Cologne? A look at Lübeck shows us impressively how important this topic has become. The current measurement on Moislinger-Allee shows how important air quality is for our health. On October 26, 2025, fine dust particles (PM10) were measured there per cubic meter of air. The legal limit is 50 particles per cubic meter, and this can be exceeded a maximum of 35 times per year, so the air is classified as "bad" if the value is between 51 and 100 particles, as ln-online.de explained.

But it's not just fine dust that bothers us. Nitrogen dioxide and ozone also play an important role in the air pollution discussion. For nitrogen dioxide, values ​​above 200 μg/m³ are classified as “very bad”, while ozone values ​​above 240 μg/m³ are just as worrying. According to Roche statistics from n-ag.de, these pollutants are among the main causes of health problems.

Health risks and recommendations

The health effects of air pollution are undisputed. The European Environment Agency estimates that around 240,000 people in the EU die prematurely every year due to fine dust. This number is alarming and highlights the urgency of taking action here. In case of “poor” air quality, it is recommended to avoid physical exertion outdoors, especially for sensitive people. With “moderate” air quality, short-term health consequences are unlikely, although risk groups in particular could react more sensitively here. These recommendations help to minimize fine dust pollution, as eea.europa.eu explains in detail.

Weather conditions, such as those observed in June 2025 with temperatures between 11 and 22 °C and winds of up to 25 km/h, also influence the concentration of air pollutants. It is therefore important to keep an eye on the weather situation in order to better assess the air quality. However, these invisible hazardous substances demand a lot of attention from us.

On the subject of air quality on the night of New Year's Eve, for example, the current discussion shows that although exposure to fireworks does result in a short-term increase in fine dust levels, fortunately it is not significant compared to continuous exposure over the course of the year. Nevertheless, it remains crucial that we keep an eye on developments in order to achieve the goal by 2030: a significant reduction in air pollutants.

A look into the future

However, in the long term there is a trend towards improving air quality. Between 2005 and 2022, the number of deaths in the EU due to particulate matter fell significantly. The EU is pursuing the goal of reducing fine dust pollution by 55% by 2030, which would also be desirable for us in Cologne. Nevertheless, air pollution remains the biggest environmental health risk in Europe and there is still much to be done to achieve WHO legal guidelines in real-world air quality. The changes to air quality regulations, which have been in force since December 10, 2024, are likely to be an important step in the right direction.

In summary, air quality is not just a local issue, but affects everyone. It is up to us to actively contribute to improvement and to use our resources more consciously in order to promote the well-being of both our own health and our environment.