When thousands of runners take to the city streets during this weekend’s World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen, the city will get the opportunity to measure its air pollution on a day when traffic is unusually sparse.
The independent environmental organisation Miljøpunkt indre By-Christianshavn (MBC) – aided by students from Denmark’s Technical University (DTU) – will measure the air quality in certain parts of the city.
“It’s not very often that we get such an opportunity and it gives us a chance to raise awareness that cars make a difference to the quality of the air,” Anne-Mette Wehmüller, the head of MBC, told Metroxpress newspaper.
READ MORE: City calls for national actions to reduce air pollution
Coffee and juice
Wehmüller went on to explain that there are many stretches of road in Copenhagen where the air pollution exceeds the EU limits.
”We know that air pollution is behind over 20 times as many early deaths as traffic accidents are, so when we measure during a half marathon, we can simultaneously raise awareness that pollution also concerns health,” Wehmüller said.
Bo Normander, the head of the environmental organisation Det Økologiske Råd, welcomed the initiative, although he was unsure how much they could get out of one day of testing. Foggy weather can accumulate pollution from previous days.
Between noon and 15:15 on Saturday March 29, the MBC will be at three different locations (see below) in the city measuring the air quality and will give a free coffee and juice to adults and children who visit them.
12.00-13.15: They will be at the corner of HC Andersens Boulevard/Stormgade
13.30-14.15: They will be at the corner of Gyldenløvesgade/Nørre Søgade
14.30-15.15: They will be at the corner of Gothersgade/Nørre Farimagsgade (by Andreas Church)
The three points are the three red dots on the map below showing the half marathon route.
