Air pollution levels in Istanbul fell significantly in January, with particulate matter concentrations declining by 36 percent compared with the same month last year, according to a recent academic study.
Conducted by Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), data for the analysis were obtained from air quality monitoring stations operated by the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry and the Istanbul Municipality.
The findings show that the average particulate matter (PM10) concentration measured at 24 monitoring stations fell to 26.5 micrograms per cubic meter in January 2026, down from 41.5 micrograms per cubic meter in January 2025. Compared with December’s average of 35.6 micrograms, January’s figure also marked a 26 percent improvement.
In January 2026, the highest particulate matter concentration was recorded at the Kağıthane 1 station, measuring 46.4 micrograms per cubic meter. Tuzla and Sancaktepe followed with 44 and 39.8 micrograms, respectively. The lowest pollution level was observed at the Sultangazi 1 station, at 8.4 micrograms per cubic meter. Measurements at Büyükada and Sarıyer stood at 11.8 and 15 micrograms, respectively.
Of the 24 stations analyzed, particulate pollution declined at 21 locations, increased at two and remained unchanged at one. The sharpest decrease was recorded at Sultangazi 1, where pollution dropped by 83 percent year-on-year, followed by Kadıköy (53 percent) and Bağcılar (52 percent).
The increases were observed at Yenibosna (35 percent) and Arnavutköy (25 percent).
Evaulating the results, İTÜ Meteorological Engineering Professor Hüseyin Toros underlined that meteorological conditions were the main driver behind the recent improvement. “There has been no significant change in emission sources compared to last year,” he said, noting that schools were on midterm break in both periods and industrial activity continued.
“January this year was more rainy than last year.” Rain and wind, he explained, help disperse pollutants and enhance air quality.
