Urban Air Quality Monitoring and Presentation of Results in the Electronic Media in Prishtina, Kosovo

Air pollution is a global threat leading to large impacts on health and urban ecosystems.The air quality index is based on measurement of particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ), Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Ozone (O 3 ). Recent the years in Kosovo are installed nation air quality monitoring in different areas such as residential areas, industrial, roadside and reference areas. The study was conducted in Prishtina region between November-December 2021 and January 2022 in five monitoring stationes. The purpose of this paper is to determine compliance with air quality limit value, to detect pollutant levels (NO 2 , SO 2 , CO, O 3 ), particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) and to study the values of exceedances, from the standards values for air quality. Air quality monitoring in this study was done in the study area Agglomeration-AKS1 (IHMK, ex-Rilindja, Obiliq, Dardhishte and Palaj). Particulate matter (PM 10 ) and (PM 2.5 ) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ) have shown exceedancces value from the standard values for air quality in Agglomeration-AKS1area in Prishtina. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ) have shown exceedancces value (100-120 µg/m 3 ) from the standard values for air quality at the ex-Rilindja (132.2 μg/m 3 ). PM 2.5 has exceeded the limit values (20–25 µg/m 3 ) in monitoring stations:IHMK,Obiliq, Dardhishte and Palaj. The respect and application of international standards for air quality strengthens the image of Kosovo, preserves the health of citizens, fulfills environmental criteria, while the contribution of the media is considered important.


INTRODUCTION
Over the last few decades the state of the global environment has become an issue of major concern. Air pollution is a global threat leading to large impacts on health and urban ecosystems. In Europe, the most serious pollutants in terms of damage to human health, are particulate matter PM 10 and PM 2.5 , NO 2 , CO, SO 2 and ground-level O 3 . Air pollution is a great reason of early death and disease and is the single largest environmental health risk in Europe (Lim, 2012). Heart disease and stroke are the most common reasons for early death attributable to air pollution,followed by lung diseases and lung cancer (WHO, 2013).
According of Europian Enviroinment Agency emissions and concentrations have increased in many areas worldwide (Amann, 2018). When it comes to Europe, air quality remains poor in many areas, despite reductions in emissions and ambient concentrations (EEA, 2018).
More than 70% of the European population, which will grow to about 523 million by the year 2000, live in urban areas. They are often exposed to elevated levels of air pollutants, predominantly emitted from a variety of sources concentrated in the city; the most important of these are usually road traffic, domestic dwellings,Industrial facilities and power generation plants. Poor air quality, along with other environmental problems, challenges citizens in the capital of Kosovo in Pristina Urban Air Quality Monitoring and Presentation of Results in the Electronic Media in Prishtina, Kosovo and the surrounding area, both in urban and rural areas (Balaj, 2017).
Air pollution is perceived as the second biggest environmental concern for Europeans after climate change and people expect the authorities to implement effective measures to reduce air pollution and its effects (EU, 2016).
The first automatic air quality monitoring station in Kosovo were installed in Prishtina on January 2009 (MESP, 2020). Air pollution in recent years in Kosovo and especially in Pristina is poor for the health of citizens. Measurements are performed in frequented spaces where the movement and concentration of citizens is high.
The presentation of air quality values, role of electronic media for awareness of the air quality problem has been continuous, through informative editions and news.
According to the presentation in the media in Kosovo, air pollution is considered poor, especially during the autumn and winter seasons, when various factors affect the pollution of the environment and consequently cause a number of problems. In the summer months (May, June, July and August) air topics are covered less in the media, while with the drop in temperatures, especially during the winter season (November, December, January, February) and adding pollution from outdated vehicles and air quality topics are permanent topics in the media. Environmental experts consider and through the media make public their positions and appeal that alternatives should be found to remove the use of fossil materials for heating.
Real-time updating and tracking of the factors that affect air pollution in Kosovo, in addition to being presented in the media, it is also public through social networks and static points positioned in urban environments such as in Pristina so that citizens are informed of the situation real factors that affect air quality.The purpose of this paper is to determine compliance with air quality limit value, to detect pollutant levels and to study the values of exceedances from the standard values for air quality in Prishtina, Kosovo.

Study area
Location of this study was in region of Prishtina in Republic of Kosovo. National air quality monitoring network in Kosovo is presented in (Figure 1). Air quality monitoring in this study was done in the study area Agglomeration-AKS1 (IHMK, ex-Rilindja, Obiliq, Dardhishte and Palaj). The study was conducted in Prishtina region between November-December 2021 and January 2022 in five monitoring stationes. Based on the Law on Environmental Protection,No. 03/L-025, Law on Air Pollution       3 In Aglomeracionin AKS1 did not exceedance the limit values (120-180 µg/m 3 ). Table 6 shows maximum values of SO 2 for November, 2021 according to monitoring stations in AKS1 are: IHKM (23.6 μg/m 3 ), ex-Rilindja      Note: the air quality index in AKS1 -agglomeration during month-Janary, 2022.    . The number of days with exceedances at the IHKM station was (7), ex-Rilindja (5), Obliq (6) Dardhishte (5) and Palaj (2). Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ) has shown exceeding the limit values (100-120 µg/m 3 ) at the ex-Rilindja (126.2). The presentation of air quality values, role of electronic media for awareness of the air quality problem has been continuous, through informative editions and news.According to the presentation in the media in Kosovo, air pollution is considered poor, especially during the autumn and winter season, when various factors affect the pollution of the environment and therefore cause a number of problems.The respect and application of international standards for air quality strengthens the image of Kosovo, preserves the health of citizens, fulfills environmental criteria, while the contribution of the media is considered important.

Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Llazar Haxhinasto for his comments on the original study idea and support during the study period. Also we would to thank the Hydrometeorological Institute of Kosovo for creating the opportunity to access updated air quality data.