SARAJEVO, September 19 (FENA) - The United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina is proud to announce the installation of a state-of-the-art air quality monitor at the premises of the Embassy’s Banja Luka Branch Office this week.
The regulatory-grade monitor is now reporting real-time data available to the public.
During this week’s visit to Banja Luka, Ambassador Eric Nelson met with representatives of the local authorities working on environmental issues to mark the launch.
Ambassador Nelson emphasized that installing this air quality monitor in Banja Luka to supplement its monitor in Sarajevo demonstrated the U.S. Embassy’s commitment to helping citizens and authorities throughout BiH better understand the inherent risks of air pollution and increase dialogue to mitigate the issue, announced the US Embassy in BiH.
“We look forward to our continued engagement on this and other climate-related issues to assist in delivering needed reforms that will matter to people living in Banja Luka and make the city a more attractive place for residents, tourists, and investors,” Ambassador Nelson said.
The 24-hour data for Banja Luka is now available to the public on the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow website: (https://www.airnow.gov/international/us-embassies-and-consulates/#Bosnia_and_Herzegovina$Banja_Luka).
The air quality monitor measures fine particulate matter (commonly referred to as PM 2.5 because it is less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter) as an indicator of the air quality in downtown Banja Luka.
Using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) NowCast algorithm, the readings are converted into an air quality index (AQI) value that reports how clean or polluted the air is as well as the associated health risks, enabling individuals to take steps to reduce their exposure.
(FENA) S. R.