Is the Air from Landfill Burning Dangerous? An Expert Responds

It has been reported that Auroranews continues to receive alarming notifications about a strange odor spreading in Yerevan, with a cloud of smoke hanging over the city. Assuming that the issue is related to the fire that broke out yesterday in the Nubarashen landfill area, we contacted the staff of the Yerevan municipality.

During this time, Auroranews spoke with Gayane Shahnazaryan, Deputy Director of the Hydro-Meteorological Center of the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations, about air pollution monitoring, changes, and the dangers posed by pollutants in the air.

“Air pollution monitoring is conducted continuously, regardless of whether there is a fire or not. It is not possible to monitor all the pollutants emitted into the atmosphere as a result of the fire, because the amount of pollutants from landfill burning is very high, including heavy metals and others. Based on the results of one day, the air pollution in our observatories has not increased in terms of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide levels. However, naturally, the mentioned parameters will be present in the atmosphere; I cannot say to what extent the pollution exists,” stated Shahnazaryan.

In response to Auroranews’ question about whether the air from the burning landfill is dangerous for people living in nearby areas, she mentioned, “The burning of the landfill is dangerous; this is why work is being done to extinguish the fire as soon as possible.” She added that the landfill should not be burning.

“You cannot keep your windows closed indefinitely, as the smoke will continue to spread through the wind. Heavy particles will move closer to the surrounding area, while lighter ones will travel farther. Residents living nearby become more vulnerable, as they will experience pollution from all pollutants, but regardless, there is pollution in the air,” emphasized Shahnazaryan.