They are extremely small \u2013 thirty times finer that a human hair. Their composition is unknown. Yet, when we inhale them, they quickly enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. The more of them there are, the more dangerous they become. High concentrations can exacerbate existing illnesses, and in some cases they can even cause cancer and premature death.<\/p>
PM 2.5 particles \u2013 fine particulate matter \u2013 are one of the main indicators of the degree of air pollution in Serbia. According to the World Health Organisation<\/em> (WHO) standards, which are stricter than those of Serbia, air is only considered to be of acceptable quality if the average annual level is below 5 micrograms per cubic metre.<\/p> The assessment of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service<\/em> (CAMS) works as follows: satellites measure how much light is reflected from the Earth and returns to it. The more polluted an area is, the less light there will be. Then, scientists incorporate other factors (for example, whether it's an urban area or a smaller locality), and the program provides an estimation of pollution.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>