Air quality significantly affects the environment, human health, and the individual ecosystems.
The level of air pollution in Slovakia has been monitored by the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute since 1971, when the first manual stations were put into operation in Bratislava and Košice and subsequently in other cities. Current air quality concentrations in Slovakia can be monitored here:
Current air quality concentrations – SHMÚ (shmu.sk)
One of the monitoring stations of SHMÚ is also located in Liptov, on Chopok. Another station for air quality measurements is located directly in Liptovský Mikuláš on Školská street. It measures the following pollutants: particulate matter PM10, PM2,5, nitrogen oxides NO-NO2-NOx and sulfur dioxide SO2. It also measures wind speed and direction, air temperature and humidity among other meteorological parameters.
There are only four plants in the territory of Liptovský Mikuláš classified as major sources of air pollution.
Overall, the air quality in Liptovský Mikuláš is influenced by westerly winds coming from the neighboring district of Ružomberok, whose territory belongs to the territories above-average polluted by NO2 emissions.
According to the legislation in force regarding air quality protection, municipalities, including the city of Liptovský Mikuláš, are responsible for minor sources of pollution. The city is the permitting authority for such a source of pollution. Minor sources include heating installations in households too. The current Waste Act prohibits the incineration of waste in such sources.
Legal persons operating a small source are subject to an air pollution charge.
There is one of the 6 regional primary schools in Liptovský Mikuláš (within the Žilina self-governing region) that carry out air pollution measurements within the LIFE IP project. It is the Primary School of Miloš Janoška, where air pollution measurements from traffic were carried out at two locations near the school over a period of 4 weeks using so-called passive samplers. The pupils present the results of the measurements not only at their school but also to the representatives of the region and local authorities.