The first permanent monitoring station was set up in Békéscsaba, in the county seat of Békés by the Békéscsaba City Urban Development Corporation (Békéscsabai Városfejlesztési Kft.), the partner of the HungAIRy LIFE integrated project (IP). The monitoring station was installed to measure continuously the concentrations of ozone (O₃), nitrogen oxides (NO, NO₂), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM₂₅) in Békéscsaba and to transfer the data to the National Air Quality Monitoring Network (Országos Légszennyezettségi Mérőhálózat).

The monitoring station were placed in the yard of the Békéscsaba Health Centre by Békéscsaba City Urban Development Corporation last week.

The National Air Quality Monitoring Network is responsible for the coordination of the ambient air quality monitoring across the country. The HungAIRy LIFE IP was launched in 2019, and during its 8-year lifespan, among its most important tasks in Békéscsaba was to establish a new monitoring station as part of the National Air Quality Monitoring Network.

To find the optimal location of the permanent monitoring station, air quality was measured by mobile air quality monitoring stations on several occasions in the past years. Based on the monitoring data and the strict criteria laid down in the legislation, the other project partner, the Hungarian Meteorological Service suggested a fixed location for the monitoring station.

When the monitoring station is placed, a 30-day trial period will begin, then the operation management of the monitoring station should be taken over by the Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office in the first weeks of January this year.

The monitoring station will provide continuous measurement data on the concentrations of ozone (O₃), nitrogen oxides (NO, NO₂), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2,5), which data will be transferred to the National Air Quality Monitoring Network. The installation of the monitoring station also provides the opportunity for the city to plan new development programmes on the basis of the measured data in the upcoming years.