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Air quality in Brussels’ metro stations better than in Paris
Have you ever wondered what the air quality is like down the metro? You can rest easy. Measurements conducted by the Brussels local transport operator MIVB show that air quality in Brussels’ metro stations is “excellent”. MIVB spokesman Guy Sablon told VRT News that the values measured are up to 10 times below the limits that have been set by law.
Every two years, the MIVB checks the air quality in its metro stations. “When we carry out the checks, we use the norms set for our employees, because unlike passengers, they spend a lot of time in the metro. The checks now show that the values of substances that may pose a threat to health are still ten times below the limits set."
Comparison with Paris
Compared to metro stations in Paris, Brussels scores much better. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), metro stations in Paris show that acceptable norms for particle matter are exceeded by a factor of five. "Although in really here we are comparing apples to pears," says Guy Sablon. "In Paris the metro is very old, in Brussels the metro has only been running since 1976, so our rolling stock is more modern. Moreover, in Brussels, for a large part, the metro runs above ground, so there is natural ventilation. All this makes for better air quality than e.g. in Paris."
