Invisible air pollution from fires will remain for ‘a long time’

The high levels of harmful microparticles in the atmosphere due to the fires will persist for a long time, according to professor of analytical chemistry at Athens University Nikos Thomaidis.

Speaking to Skai TV on Wednesday, he said that the magnitude of the natural disaster was such that a huge amount of microparticles were released into the atmosphere and that a long time will be needed before they clear.

“The particles will remain suspended due to the winds, even if the atmosphere clears for a while,” he stressed.

Referring to the affected areas, he insisted that immediate and long-term actions must be taken to deal with the disaster.

“All burnt materials should be removed soon,” he said, adding that “soil, water and even food of animal origin should be monitored.”