Following a residents’ report, the environmental protection authority examined air quality in Mikepércs, Debrecen, and the area of the Debrecen Southern Industrial Park.
The complaint was submitted by Andrea Pintye, who reported the incident to our portal. She drew attention to an unusual odor experienced in recent days, throat and nasal irritation, and a deterioration in publicly available air quality data.
In her report, she emphasized that, as a layperson, she does not wish to establish a cause-and-effect relationship; however, due to the spatial and temporal coincidences, she considers an investigation of the phenomenon justified, particularly with regard to health risks and the stench affecting quality of life. She also attached photographic documentation to the complaint, showing visible emissions observed in the vicinity of the Semcorp plant operating in the Southern Industrial Park.
According to the authority, residents are the cause of the problem
According to information from the Environmental, Nature Conservation and Waste Management Department of the Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office, the report was investigated without delay under Act XXV of 2023. As part of this, on-site inspections were carried out along the Debrecen–Mikepércs section, in the area of the Debrecen Southern Industrial Park, and within the built-up area of Mikepércs.
According to the authority’s findings, no industrial-origin odor was detected at any of the locations. At the same time, within the built-up area of Mikepércs, characteristic air pollution originating from residential heating was detectable. The authority pointed out that cold, windless, humid, foggy weather conditions significantly contribute to the accumulation of air pollutants.
Based on official, validated data from HungaroMet Zrt.’s Debrecen monitoring stations—the Kalotaszeg Square and Hajnal Street containers—the concentration of air pollutants related to heating, especially PM10 particulate matter, increased during the evening hours and then decreased again by the early morning. According to the authority, the odor was likely caused by organic compounds present in the smoke generated during incomplete combustion.
As part of the investigation, the authority also carried out an unannounced inspection at the premises of Semcorp Hungary Kft., where an accredited organization was conducting emission measurements at the time. During the inspection, no circumstances warranting official action were identified. The measurements began on December 15, 2025, will last for several days, and the company is required to submit the results to the authority in accordance with the requirements of the final integrated environmental permit.
The government office indicated that if any measures become necessary based on the accredited measurement reports, they will be taken without delay, as in previous practice. The authority considers the investigation of the public-interest report to be closed.
The information also reminds readers that, according to nationwide data, more than 80 percent of fine particulate matter emissions are attributable to residential heating, while industry and transport each contribute approximately 5 percent to air pollution. In order to improve air quality, professional bodies emphasize year after year that what we heat with—and how—matters.
(Debreceni Nap)
Photos: private archive
