The city of Lipetsk is among the cities with a low degree of air pollution and is officially recognized as one of the cleanest cities of the Black Earth region of Russia.

The Main Geophysical Observatory named after A. I. Voeykov (a research centre of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring) annually calculates the Integrated Air Pollution Index (IAPI).

The calculations showed that Lipetsk is among the cities with a low degree of air pollution and is officially recognized as one of the cleanest cities of the Black Earth region of Russia.

The Integrated Air Pollution Index (IAPI) was developed and is measured by the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet). It is used by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to scientifically evaluate the level of air pollution in Russian cities. The index is based on average annual concentrations, measuring chronic, long-term air pollution.

IAPI is calculated by measuring levels of important region-specific air pollutants, taking into account the degree of their hazard. For Lipetsk, this includes concentrations of dust, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, phenol and formaldehyde.

In 2019, the IAPI indicator in Lipetsk stood at 3 units, having decreased by half since 2013, when it was 5.1 units. In recent years the pollution reached its lowest level in the whole history of research since 1991, when it was 33.9 units.

Depending on the IAPI level, there is:

Low pollution

< 5 units

Increased pollution

5–7 units

High pollution

8–14 units

Extremely high

>14 units

Based on this breakdown, Lipetsk was officially recognized not only as the cleanest regional capital of the Black Earth territory, but also as the ‘cleanest’ steelmaking city in Russia, ahead of Cherepovets (3.9 units), Nizhny Tagil (7 units), Magnitogorsk (13 units), and Novokuznetsk (17 units), where the main sites of large steel companies are located.

According to experts, the record low IAPI level in Lipetsk is largely due to the comprehensive and successful effort of NLMK Lipetsk to reduce its environmental impact through its Environmental Programme.