Tirana and Elbasan continue to rank among the country’s most problematic areas for air pollution, with PM10 particle levels above permitted limits. Data published in the 2025 Environmental State Report links the main burden to heavy traffic, a long-standing urban problem that institutions acknowledge on paper but which remains unresolved on the ground.
Tirana: Dust above the standard and deterioration at one of the main stations
According to the National Environment Agency report, air quality monitoring in Tirana for 2025 was carried out at two stations: “Tirana Higjena” and “Tirana Mobile.” At the “Tirana Higjena” station, the PM10 level reached 57.66 μg/m³, or 44% above the permitted annual standard.
The same station recorded 33 days exceeding the daily standard, out of a total of 35 days allowed per year. The report links this pollution mainly to heavy traffic in the area and underlines that 2025 shows deterioration compared with 2023 and 2024.
Ozone, NO2 and CO: some improvements on paper, but not without warning signs
Both stations in Tirana recorded exceedances of the 8-hour ozone standard. The highest value at “Tirana Higjena” was 125.5 μg/m³ on August 19, 2025, while at “Tirana Mobile” it reached 133.8 μg/m³ on August 15. However, according to the report, ozone levels show improvement compared with the 2023-2024 period.
For nitrogen dioxide, exceedances or levels very close to the limit were found at the “Tirana Higjena” station. Here too, improvement is reported compared with previous years. As for carbon monoxide, “Tirana Mobile” shows improvement, but “Tirana Higjena” marks deterioration compared with 2024.
Regarding sulfur dioxide, the report presents the situation as good at “Tirana Higjena,” while for “Tirana Mobile” the highest values of this indicator were recorded in 2019 and 2025. For benzene, there was no exceedance of the annual standard in the July-December 2025 period, but the data again show deterioration compared with past years.
Noise in the capital: exceedances at all 15 measurement points
Beyond air quality, the report highlights that Tirana had the highest noise levels among the monitored cities. Measurements were carried out at 15 stations, and exceedances of World Health Organization standards were recorded at all points, both during the day and at night.
The average daytime noise level in the capital was 63.07 dB(A), while at night it was 53.05 dB(A). The most problematic point was the area near “Farmacia 10,” where daytime noise reached 64.73 dB(A) and nighttime noise 56.23 dB(A). Even the points with the lowest noise levels, such as “Stadiumi Dinamo,” “Selvia” and the “Palace of Congresses,” still remained above recommended standards.
Elbasan with strong PM10 exceedances and the only NO2 reading above the limit
In Elbasan, the report’s data also show an exceedance of the annual PM10 standard during the July-December 2025 period. The monitored value reached 59.72 μg/m³, or 49% above the permitted limit. According to the report, this represents deterioration compared with 2020 and 2023.
The official version links the main cause to heavy road traffic, stressing that the monitoring station is located near high-flow routes. But the report also adds another element for the city: during 2025, the crude oil processing refinery “RBH Beline” JSC was operating in Elbasan.
For nitrogen dioxide, Elbasan is the only station nationwide with an exceedance of the annual limit value during the second half of the year, at 40.18 μg/m³. This indicator also shows deterioration compared with the years 2019-2024. As for SO2 and CO, no exceedances of the standard are reported, although for CO a worsening trend compared with 2024 is noted. For benzene, there is no exceedance of the annual standard, but here too the report records an increase compared with previous years.
The picture emerging from the report leaves little room for reassurance: in two large cities, fine dust pollution continues to exceed limits, while noise in Tirana remains outside standards at every monitored point.
When institutions have identified traffic for years as the main source, the question is no longer only what is happening to the air, but why measures to curb this situation continue to produce no visible result.