Meteorologists in Bashkortostan Reveal City with Dirtiest Air

Meteorologists in Bashkortostan have named the most polluted city in the republic for 2025. They published a report on the state of atmospheric air for December, and UFA1.RU studied reports for previous months to compile an overall picture. It turns out that Sterlitamak is not the worst.

Measurements were taken only in five cities: Ufa, Sterlitamak (where residents regularly complain about poor air), Salavat (similar here), Blagoveshchensk and Tuymazy. In the first three, they searched for 17 pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, benzene, ethylbenzene, and others, as well as 9 metals: copper, zinc, lead, and others.

For 2025, the data were as follows:

• Ufa — elevated and high levels of air pollution, with 167 cases of exceeding limits for dust, hydrogen sulfide, phenol, isopropylbenzene, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen chloride, xylenes, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide.

• Sterlitamak — high and elevated pollution levels, with 203 cases of exceeding permissible norms for dust, ethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, formaldehyde, xylenes, hydrogen chloride.

• Salavat — high level, with 222 cases of exceeding limits for dust, phenol, ethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, ammonia.

• Blagoveshchensk — low pollution level, 1 case, the exceedance was for formaldehyde.

• Tuymazy — low level, no exceedances.

Thus, Salavat became the most polluted city, with Sterlitamak slightly behind. At some periods during the year, Ufa held the first place, but by the end of 2025, it was overtaken by the second and third cities of the republic.

Tuymazy and Blagoveshchensk, respectively, turned out to be the most favorable in terms of ecology.

In the three most polluted cities, isopropylbenzene (also known as cumene) was present — a colorless liquid used to produce acetone or phenol, and it is an additive to motor fuel.

Xylene (also known as dimethylbenzene) — a substance used as a solvent for paints. It has a sharp smell with a sweetish tinge, reminiscent of gasoline or solvents.

Formaldehyde was found in two cities — a colorless gas with a sharp irritating smell, reminiscent of hospitals, used as a preservative in cosmetics and household chemicals, as well as in morgues. Also — ethylbenzene, a liquid aromatic hydrocarbon used to produce styrene, from which, for example, rubber (shoes and tires) and plastic are made.

Note that cumene was detected in Ufa in January 2026, when residents of the city massively complained about a strange smell of burnt wood. In the capital, a regime of unfavorable meteorological conditions was introduced: there was no wind in the city for a long time, and frost contributed to the accumulation of all sorts of dirt in the air. As of January 29, the regime has been lifted.

In Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing), UFA1.RU reported that complaints about air in Ufa were received.

“However, their number is not more than usual. All appeals are considered and responses are sent to the applicants,” said the agency.