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Attention, Bremen: High ozone levels are threatening – health risks are increasing!
Increased ozone levels in Bremen: Environmental warning for August 13, 2025 - breathing difficulties and health tips for those affected.
Attention, Bremen: High ozone levels are threatening – health risks are increasing!
Things are looking like a heated affair in Bremen these days: the environmental department is sounding the alarm about increased ozone concentrations, which are expected on Wednesday and Thursday. The levels could exceed the critical threshold of 180 micrograms of ozone per cubic meter of air, as buten and within reported. So far, ozone levels have fluctuated between 62 and 120 micrograms over the past four weeks, but the impending heatwave poses health risks.
Ozone is no friend to our lungs: high concentrations can cause respiratory irritation, coughing and even headaches. People who are particularly at risk, including the elderly or people with existing health problems, should stay indoors and avoid physical exertion from midday onwards. And the complaints should not be underestimated – loud healthy.bund.de Around 10 to 15 percent of the population is sensitive to ozone.
Causes and effects
Climate change is affecting our environment and is causing higher temperatures and milder winters - an ideal breeding ground for the formation of ozone near the ground. The combination of intense sunlight and high temperatures promotes the formation of this harmful irritant gas. In the already hot summers of recent years, such as 2018 and 2022, the target value for ozone was exceeded many times in cities like Stuttgart. If you are thinking about exercising outdoors, you should first take a look at the air quality. Sporting activities increase ozone absorption in the lungs, which can have a negative impact on lung function and performance.
Symptoms are varied and range from watery eyes to serious respiratory problems. And as it turns out, the smallest among us - babies and toddlers - are particularly at risk because their lungs are still developing and they inhale relatively more ozone than adults. The health risks associated with ozone depend not only on the duration of exposure, but also on individual sensitivity.
What can we do?
To reduce ozone pollution, measures to reduce emissions of precursor substances such as nitrogen oxides and volatile hydrocarbons are crucial. The EU directive from 2002 stipulates a maximum ozone value of 120 micrograms per cubic meter on an 8-hour average, but a maximum of 25 exceedances per year are permitted. That seems like a high hurdle when you consider that the values can rise quickly during the heat period, as we also know from the experience in Stuttgart.
Political and social responsibility is required here! It is not only important to comply with environmental and health regulations, but also to take active action to improve air quality for everyone. Because in the end, we all want to be able to breathe easy - and that should be in all of our hands to a certain extent, shouldn't it?