Warning: poor air
The air is poor or worse here right now:
As of 21:00
No data is arriving from 15 monitoring stations in BiH
How is the air today?
Readings from the official stations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, explained simply.
Ilijaš, statistics for the Sarajevo - Ilijas station
Sarajevo Canton · Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
This year at least 48 days above the legal daily limit for PM10 of 50 µg/m³ (35 allowed).
This year, up to yesterday (October 6)
at least 48 days with a daily average of particulate matter PM10 above the legal limit of 50 µg/m³.
35 days are allowed in the whole year.
The number allowed for the whole year has been exceeded.at least 13 days more than allowed
- Everyone
- Enjoy your usual outdoor activities.
- Sensitive people
- Consider reducing intense outdoor activities, if you experience symptoms.
Who is sensitive?
Adults and children with lung or breathing problems, such as asthma, and adults with heart conditions.
Recommendation of the European Environment Agency (EEA) for this level.
Why?
Right now the level is set by nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).
A gas from vehicle exhaust, especially diesel engines, and from burning in industry and power plants.
The level always follows the pollutant with the worst reading.
General information on sources from the EEA and the World Health Organization (WHO). It does not say where the pollution at this exact place comes from.
Details
Stations: Ilijaš
Measured by: Federal Hydrometeorological Institute
Latest value: 10/7, 21:00
Readings Pollutant Value Level PM10 37.9 µg/m³ Fair NO₂ 50.2 µg/m³ Moderate SO₂ 3.9 µg/m³ Good
The station measures the air where it stands. Elsewhere in the municipality it may differ.
- Good0
- Fair10
- Moderate25
- Poor60
- Very poor100
- Extremely poor150
The colour says how polluted the air is, from Good to Extremely poor. The numbers below say from which reading each level applies.
Last 7 days
Thu, 10/1
Extremely poor
Fri, 10/2
Extremely poor
Sat, 10/3
Extremely poor
Sun, 10/4
Extremely poor
Mon, 10/5
Moderate
Tue, 10/6
Moderate
Wed, 10/7
Moderate
Each day shows its worst measured hour, as the EEA does. “no measurement” means nothing was measured, not that the air was clean.
Who is responsible
Air quality in the Federation of BiH is monitored by three networks of stations: the federal, the cantonal and the municipal one (Air Protection Act, Official Gazette FBiH 72/24, Art. 12 to 16).
- Federal Hydrometeorological Institute (FHMZ)
- Runs the federal network, collects the data of all networks and publishes it. It issues a report every month and, every year by 31 July, the annual air quality report (Art. 14, 19 and 63).
- Canton
- Sets up the cantonal network and is responsible for the measures. When limit values are exceeded, it adopts an air quality plan. When warning or alert thresholds are at risk of being exceeded, it adopts a short-term intervention plan. When the information threshold or a concentration dangerous to health is exceeded, it informs the public (Art. 15, 22, 25, 27 and 61).
- Municipality
- May run its own stations with the consent of the canton and must publish their results (Art. 16 and 17).
- Inspectorates
- The inspectorates of the Federation, the canton and the municipality supervise the law and the measures, each within its remit (Art. 71).
What the law requires when a limit is exceeded
A limit value is not a recommendation. The deadline for meeting the limit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter expired on 1 January 2021. Since then only the number of exceedances that the Pravilnik allows applies (Official Gazette FBiH 1/12, Annex X). The Air Protection Act adds that limit values, once met, must not be exceeded again (Art. 5(4)).
The law allows: for PM10 at most 35 days a year above 50 µg/m³, for sulphur dioxide at most 24 hours above 350 µg/m³ and at most 3 days above 125 µg/m³, for nitrogen dioxide at most 18 hours above 200 µg/m³ and no day with a daily average above 85 µg/m³ (Annex X).
When limits are exceeded, the canton adopts an air quality plan with measures that shorten the period of exceedance. The plan is published within eight days of adoption (Art. 8, 25, 26 and 63).
The alert thresholds are 500 µg/m³ for sulphur dioxide and 400 µg/m³ for nitrogen dioxide over three hours in a row, and 300 µg/m³ for PM10 and 280 µg/m³ for PM2.5 as a daily average (Pravilnik, Annex XIV, amended in Official Gazette FBiH 3/21). When such a situation threatens, the canton must have a short-term intervention plan. It can restrict traffic, construction work, the operation of plants and heating (Art. 27 and 28).
When the information threshold or a concentration dangerous to health is exceeded, the competent cantonal authorities inform the public through radio, television, newspapers and the internet: where, since when, how much was measured, what is expected and how to protect oneself (Art. 61 and 62).
We show measured values only. Whether an episode has been declared is decided by the competent authorities, who publish it on their own pages.
The limit values in BiH match the EU rules of 2008. Since 2021 the World Health Organization has recommended much lower values, for PM10 45 µg/m³ a day and 15 µg/m³ a year. From 2030 the EU lowers the annual PM10 limit to 20 µg/m³ (Directive (EU) 2024/2881).
We checked the rules against the published texts on 7 October 2026.
This year in BiH, up to yesterday (October 6)
19 of 36
monitoring stations in BiH already had more days or hours above the limit than are allowed for the whole year.
Not counted: 3 stations with too few readings to judge.
Particulate matter PM10 · 35 days above 50 µg/m³ allowed
Sulphur dioxide SO₂ · 3 days above 125 µg/m³ allowed
We count days with a daily average above the limit, from measured hours only. Where a place has several stations, the one with the most days is shown.
Worst air today
The five places in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the worst measured air since midnight.
- 1Kakanjnow: ModerateExtremely poorat 16:00
- 2Novi Grad, Sarajevo Cantonnow: PoorVery poorat 20:00
- 3HadžićiPoorat 21:00
- 4IlidžaPoorat 21:00
- 5LukavacPoorat 21:00
Places without data are not in the list: Banjaluka, Bihać, Brod, Doboj, Gacko, Livno, Prijedor, Tešanj …. All stations without data
Map
Tap a dot or a municipality.
Boundaries: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0All monitoring stations
Legend
- Station, the colour shows the air
- Poor air or worse: thick ring and label
- No data from the station for 24 hours or longer
- Station without a current reading
- Station out of service according to the EEA
- Boundary of the entities and Brčko District
- Canton boundary
- Municipality boundary
- Chosen municipality
- Colour is only on the dots. A station measures the air where it stands, not across the whole municipality.
What the colours mean
- GoodThe air is clean. Carry on outdoors as usual.
- FairA little pollution. Carry on outdoors as usual.
- ModerateModerately polluted air. Sensitive people should take it easier outdoors if they feel symptoms.
- PoorPolluted air. Even healthy people may get sore eyes, a cough or a sore throat.
- Very poorHeavily polluted air. Sensitive people should take it easier, everyone else too if they feel symptoms.
- Extremely poorExtremely polluted air. Everyone should take it easier outdoors, sensitive people should avoid exertion.
Levels follow the European Air Quality Index of the EEA.