More than 10,000 people a year in the Czech Republic die prematurely on average as a result of air pollution. Dust particles PM 2.5 are mainly to blame. These are the most harmful to health and become an invisible killer in the most affected areas, including Silesia and Mostecko. Czech startup Agdata, a leader in the field of digitization of agriculture, therefore comes with the product Agdata City, which helps municipalities with the monitoring of dust particles. For example, with real-time sensor information, mayors can inform schools or kindergartens that problematic dust particles have exceeded their limit values and it is not advisable to go out or ventilate with children.
Dust particles are a problem for more or less every local authority in the Czech Republic. According to a report by the European Environment Agency, while pm 10 particles are being combated, smaller particles such as PM 2 or PM 2.5 are still failing to get below the limit level. In the Czech Republic, in addition to the aforementioned Silesia and Mostecka, pm 2.5 particles are faced, for example, by the capital city of Prague and the outskirts of Brno.
The problem is both old solid fuel boilers in households and fumes from factories that were not entitled to financial compensation under boiler subsidies. According to Agdata, exceeding the limits does not only occur during working hours, but also on weekends when people are warmed by non-ecological boilers. Moreover, mayors do not have long-term local data on the levels of harmful substances in the air produced by locals, factories or factories or, for example, transport infrastructure. In case of disputes or negotiations, they lack the necessary data. That is why the Agdata City project is helping with its dust particle sensors, which can serve as a help in the fight against environmental polluters.
The valuable information offered by sensory can be effectively disseminated among the population and help better protect citizens with respiratory problems or children who are among the most vulnerable populations. In addition, thanks to the Agdata ecosystem, data is publicly available on local government websites, and citizens can monitor the current values of measured dust particles. The first pilot governments involved in the project show that air monitoring has a place in the Czech Republic and within a few years it can become the standard in most cities and municipalities where they are dealing with dust particles in the air.
"The entire Agdata City system is built so that the mayor or the responsible person at the municipal authority has real-time information on the air condition. Thanks to this, the Office can react flexibly to the problem that has arisen and inform, for example, the head of educational establishments not to get windy in kindergarten and not to go out with children. At the same time, mayors can present the measured data as a basis for negotiations with a nearby factory, which spreads harmful fumes in the immediate vicinity," explains Lukáš Musil, Sales Director of Agdata and accredited consultantto the Ministry of Agriculture .
Local governments often have a problem enforcing their right to air protection. The lengthy process of contacting the inspection of the Ministry of the Environment or the local authority and the long measurement by them does not make the situation any easier for the mayors. "The mayor often gets into a situation where the inspection is already carrying out measurements and, for example, the company can apply for an exemption to allow the production of an excessive amount of specific particles, and the company is only fined as a result. If local government representatives have long-term data on violations of standards, they of course have a better chance of successfully combating air pollution in the area," adds Lukáš Musil.
