The Mikepércsi Anyák a Környezetért Egyesület (MIAKÖ) has responded in a Facebook post to the air quality report published on February 18 by the Hajdú-Bihar County Disaster Management Directorate’s mobile laboratory.
The official document lists “0” values for several monitored gases. At first glance, this could suggest that the air in the industrial park was completely clean. However, according to the association, the figures require more careful interpretation.
What Did the Measurements Actually Show?
The mobile laboratory tested for gases that can pose immediate and serious health risks in the event of an industrial accident. These included carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, and chlorine.
A recorded value of “0” means that at the time of the measurement, none of these substances were detected at concentrations harmful to health.
This is reassuring in the sense that there was no acute poisoning risk at the time of the test, and no immediate protective measures for residents were required. In other words, the report confirms that at the exact moment of measurement, no directly dangerous concentration was present.
Precautionary Measures in Sáránd
As a precaution, the mayor of Sáránd, a village near Debrecen, asked residents not to ventilate their homes. The notice was published on the municipality’s official Facebook page.
Timing Matters
MIAKÖ also pointed out that the measurements began at 8:01 p.m., while the initial alert had already been issued at 6:26 p.m. Outdoors, a potential gas cloud can quickly disperse due to wind. By the time the measuring equipment arrives, concentrations may have already dropped below detectable levels.
This means that people who were in the area earlier could have experienced irritation, even if later measurements did not show significant values.
Not Fearmongering, but Clarity
The association stresses that its goal is not to create panic but to provide accurate and understandable information. The mobile laboratory’s data answers one specific question: whether there was an immediately dangerous concentration at the time of measurement. It does not determine whether an irritating organic solvent may have been present earlier for a short period.
According to MIAKÖ, responsible public discourse requires that residents fully understand both the meaning and the limitations of the published data. The association believes transparent and clear communication is in everyone’s interest — and expects the same standard from the authorities.
