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Air quality

The index

Fine particles (PM2.5) are reported on the air quality index of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, from 0 to 500.

0–50Good
51–100Moderate
101–150Unhealthy for sensitive groups: children, the elderly and people with heart or lung disease should limit time outdoors.
151–200Unhealthy: everyone should limit time outdoors.
201–300Very unhealthy
301–500Hazardous

Monitoring stations

The Service has measured PM2.5 since 2019 at six stations: three in Nurzhan, two in Talas and one in Iyık Janyl. The figure shown for each city is the average of its stations.

Winter

Central Square, Nurzhan, on a winter morning
Central Square, Nurzhan, on a winter morning

Air is worst in the heating season, above all in Nurzhan in January, when the PM2.5 average is about 70 µg/m³ against 15–20 in summer. Cold, still days with an inversion trap smoke in the valley. A 2021 study with Talas State University attributed about 45% of fine particles to household coal and district heating, 25% to the refinery and industry, 20% to traffic and 10% to dust.