Due to an episode of pollution in Brittany, an alert procedure is activated in several departments from Thursday 22nd February. What there is to know.
Due to a pollution episode , Air Breizh , the body responsible for air quality monitoring in Brittany , triggered on Thursday 22nd February 2018 an information and recommendation procedure for sensitive and vulnerable people, also valid Friday 23rd February. The association specifies:
“Due to predicted deterioration of the ambient air quality, indicating a high level of PM10, the persistence alert procedure is activated for all the departments of Côtes-d’Armor , Ille-et- Vilaine , and Morbihan , from this day.”
“Bad” air quality
With an index of 8 on a scale of 10, the air quality is considered poor in these three departments, due to the presence of fine particles suspended in the air.
⚠ Alerte à la pollution atmosphérique de niveau 8 sur 10, aujourd’hui et demain en Ille-et-Vilaine. Les particules fines sont en cause, selon l’association Air Breizh. #VirginRadioActu pic.twitter.com/XVsd5ZW6ZQ
— RedacVirginRadio 35 (@VR_Rennes) February 22, 2018
Reduced speed in Côtes-d’Armor
The Côtes-d’Armor prefecture states that “this episode of pollution is attributable to the combination of weather conditions favorable to the accumulation of pollutants in the atmosphere”.
The prefecture has triggered an alert procedure from midnight on the night of Thursday to Friday.
In the department, on both times two lanes, the speed is lowered by 20 km/h and therefore limited to 90 km/h. It is also advisable to avoid unnecessary motorised movement.
Transport at 1.50 euros a day in Rennes
Friday 23rd February, while the warning threshold for fine particles will be exceeded, an “air quality pass” will be offered on the entire network bus and metro STAR of Rennes metropolis.
For 1.50 euro, this ticket will be valid all day. The measure is applied Friday, from 5 am until the last service.
#infotrafic Vendredi 23 février : PIC de POLLUTION #rennes – PASS Qualité Air en vente pour 1,50€ dans les agences, commerces/distributeurs. https://t.co/H4Trzvw9eN / 09 70 821 800
— starbusmetro (@starbusmetro) February 22, 2018
In a statement, the prefecture said that the alert procedure is activated, from Friday. The speed on the roads at 110 and 130 km/h is here also lowered by 20 km/h.
Recommendations
While this episode of pollution does not require changes to its usual activities for a large part of the population, vulnerable or sensitive people are particularly important to watch. This concerns:
- pregnant women.
- infants and young children.
- people over 65 years old.
- people with asthma or people suffering from cardiovascular, heart or respiratory diseases …
- people who recognize themselves as sensitive during pollution peaks and / or whose symptoms appear or are amplified during peaks (diabetic or immunocompromised people, suffering from neurological conditions or at risk of cardiac, respiratory, infectious.
For all these cases, where air pollution could have an impact on health, it is recommended to:
- avoid traveling on and around major highways during peak periods.
- postpone activities that require the most effort, especially intense physical and sport activities (including competitions), both outdoors and indoors.
- in the event of respiratory or cardiac discomfort (shortness of breath, wheezing, palpitations), take advice from your pharmacist or consult your doctor especially to find out if your medical treatment needs to be adapted, and give priority to brief and less demanding exits.
It should also be noted that the activities of burning green waste are also suspended.
Practical information:
More information on the Air Breizh website .
