Pollution Levels in North Cyprus

Air pollution

Air pollution is the introduction of harmful substances into the air, which has a negative impact on the environment, as well as on humans. As a result, the air is no longer clean. In particular, hydrocarbons, various organic compounds and gases are emitted into the air. This can lead to negative consequences for human health and the condition of animals and plants. Emissions from plants and factories are one of the most striking examples of the causes of air pollution. However, if we are talking about Northern Cyprus, then there are no harmful industries here. And the only plant that pollutes the environment is the Teknecik Power Plant.

They use diesel and steam turbines to generate electricity in North Cyprus. If there is anything harmful to the environment, it is only the products of fuel combustion formed during combustion in steam and diesel boilers.

Water pollution

Water pollution includes harmful emissions into the seas and oceans, lakes and groundwater. This happens when foreign chemicals or materials enter the water, which can lead to negative consequences for the ecosystem of the water body. Water is considered the second most polluted natural resource after air. Since there are no harmful industries in Northern Cyprus, there are no chemicals that can get into the water. Most likely, what pollutes the water is Syria and neighboring countries, which spill oil in the Mediterranean Sea every 5-10 years. And all coastal hotels in Northern Cyprus that pour sewage waste into the sea, of course, according to the rules, they must first filter it. I personally came across articles in the Turkish media several times about the illegal discharge of sewage waste into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Soil pollution

Land pollution is a deterioration in the quality of the soil surface, its unsuitability to support the existence of living organisms. This is directly or indirectly related to human activity. Land pollution occurs when garbage is not disposed of, which in turn leads to toxins and chemicals entering the soil. It also happens when people dump chemicals on the ground. All this leads to significant negative consequences for human health, for the state of the flora and the quality of soils.

I am not very worried about chemical emissions, since this is strictly monitored by local authorities. Land and crop cultivation are done within the norm. And even, sometimes without using pesticides and chemicals. After all, local products are considered to be among the cleanest on the entire Mediterranean coast. By the way, in Northern Cyprus, they often dispose of certain products if they exceed the permissible norm. For example, there was a case when the TRNC suddenly ran out of potatoes. It turned out that they found an above-normal level of pesticides in it and burned it so that the local population would not suffer. As for plastic garbage, I must admit, the local Turkish Cypriots still need to work on this! 🙂

Noise pollution

Noise pollution means high noise levels that lead to discomfort for humans as well as animals. The volume level of sound is measured in decibels. If the volume level exceeds certain values, then it is customary to talk about noise pollution. Volume levels above 100 decibels can cause hearing loss. According to WHO standards, the recommended noise level at enterprises should not exceed 75 decibels. There are no such problems in Northern Cyprus. The only noisy places are local Turkish cafes with live music 🙂 That’s where the “noise pollution” ends… 🙂

Thermal pollution

Thermal pollution occurs when the temperature regime of water bodies is violated. As a rule, this happens as a result of industrial production. Heat pollution affects rivers, seas and oceans. In the modern world, thermal pollution is associated with factories and plants that use water from reservoirs as a coolant. Here I can only recall the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Mersin.

It is 200 kilometers from Girne (Kyrenia) to the Turkish nuclear power plant. Erdogan expressed hope that the commissioning of its first power unit will take place in May 2023. How much it will affect the purity of the waters coastal to the TRNC is not yet clear. I think time will tell…

Light pollution

Light pollution is associated with the excessive use of artificial lighting, in particular, we are talking about street lighting, billboards, and so on. As a result, it disrupts the natural cycles of life in nature, and also has negative consequences for humans, who can also have disrupted sleep cycles. As you know, Northern Cyprus is not Las Vegas 🙂 I’m in terms of bright lights and billboards. Even, I will say more, we, fortunately, even lag behind the entire civilized world in this regard. Well, that’s great! So, we will live longer… 🙂

Visual pollution

The term “visual pollution” is used when referring to something that obstructs the view of nature. This is a rather subjective concept, since people’s understanding of beauty and aesthetic perception can differ significantly. In general, when it comes to visual pollution, they talk about cities in which there are no or very few green spaces, so that a person does not see nature. I will leave this point without comment.

Because, if you noticed, 90 percent of all buildings in Northern Cyprus are up to 4 floors. It is not recommended to build higher! Only in exceptional cases, so as not to block the view of the mountains or the sea 🙂

Radioactive contamination

Humans have been living with radiation since the day they exist on earth, and they are exposed to radiation in natural and artificial ways. Radiation is divided into two parts: natural and man-made or ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation. Soil and the sun are the main sources of natural radiation. In addition to the sun, cosmic rays are also known as natural sources of radiation, which come to the world in the form of gamma radiation from the depths of space and even from galaxies, interacting with atoms in the atmosphere. Light is the visible source of radiation, and heat is felt. Our world is also somewhat radioactive. In other words, there are naturally occurring radioactive substances in its air, water, and soil. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, all living people on the planet receive an average of 2.8 millisieverts (mSv) of natural radiation each year. 85% of this amount comes from the soil. The remaining 14% are caused by medical radiation and 1% are caused by man-made elements (the consequences of nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons, etc.).

Radon

Have you heard anything about radon? If not, let’s talk about it. Radon is a radioactive gas of natural origin, which is present indoors, coming out of the bowels of the earth. If we talk about buildings and structures, then, of course, a wooden house is considered the healthiest. But since such houses can be counted on the fingers of one hand in Northern Cyprus, we will discuss the average structure made of concrete, stone and blocks. Radon gas seeps out of the soil and accumulates indoors. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the world average radon value is 400 Bq/m3, and the average value, for example, for Turkey, is 52 Bq/m3 per year. In other words, there is no dangerous accumulation of radon in Turkey.

Key facts

• Radon is one of the leading causes of lung cancer
• It is estimated that radon causes up to 14% of all lung cancers, coming immediately after smoking
• Smokers are at a higher risk of developing lung cancer because they also inhale radon from the air
• There are proven methods to prevent radon from entering rooms (ventilation of rooms or good insulation of the foundation)
• The concentration of radon in the air is easily determined using a small passive dosimeter

How does a dosimeter work?