In Tashkent, PM2.5 concentration decreased by 28% in 2026

The data were obtained from automatic monitoring stations. The concentration of larger particles PM10 over the same period decreased by 32%. From September 1 to October 19, the decrease was 28% for PM2.5 and 37% for PM10, and for the first 19 days of October - 40% and 56%, respectively. In 2025, the AQI index reached the level of "harmful" for 11 days, while in 2026 there were no such days. The number of days when the air was rated as "moderate" or better according to PM2.5 increased from 21 to 38.

At the briefing, an assessment by the World Bank and the Committee for Ecology was presented: over the year, 36% of PM2.5 in Tashkent comes from wind-borne dust, 28% from building heating, 16% from transport, and 13% from industry. The rest comes from urban dust and waste burning, and the ratio changes seasonally.

The composition of pollution was determined by chemical analysis of samples collected in the Yunusabad, Almazar and Mirzo-Ulugbek districts. From September 28 to October 6, the share of natural dust components in PM2.5 samples ranged from 52% to 78%, on average 64%; from October 13 to 14 - 47-52%.

The deterioration of air quality in the fall was linked at the briefing to weather conditions, including the fact that at night the ground surface cools quickly and a ground temperature inversion occurs, the height of the mixing layer of the atmosphere decreases from 2-3 km in summer to several hundred meters, and the wind weakens. Additionally, September and October are usually dry, and soil dust easily rises into the air.