Dawn breaks over Dillingen, and with it awakens the rhythmic roar of the blast furnaces. Smelting furnaces glow orange in the darkness, chimneys drawing plumes of smoke against the gray sky. It's an image that has been part of the Saarland for centuries – industry as its identity, steel as its livelihood. But for people like Werner B., 58, an early retiree from Völklingen, this image has a bitter aftertaste. When he opens the window in the morning, he feels it immediately: that scratchy throat, that heaviness in his chest. His COPD was diagnosed four years ago. Although he has never smoked, doctors suspect a connection to the local air quality in the Saarland. He is an example of the direct effects of air pollution on the health of the population. "The doctors say it's the air here," he says, shrugging his shoulders. "But where am I supposed to go? This is my home."
Saarland is Germany's smallest state by area – just one million inhabitants in a region barely larger than a medium-sized Berlin district. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in industrial density. Between Saarbrücken and Dillingen, between Völklingen and Neunkirchen, lies a concentration of heavy industry that is unparalleled. A significant portion of Germany's steel is produced here. The Dillinger Hütte steelworks is considered Europe's largest heavy plate rolling mill. Every ton of steel produced generates emissions – and a multitude of particles that remain in the Saarland's air as particulate matter.
Where three countries share an air mass
The Saarland's geographical location is unique – and problematic. Wedged between France and Luxembourg, the state borders the French department of Moselle to the south and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the west. Together, they form the Saar-Lor-Lux region, home to millions of people. It is a region with exceptionally high cross-border mobility – tens of thousands of French commuters travel to Saarland for work every day.
But it's not just people who cross borders. Air pollutants know no customs. Across the border, in French Lorraine, lie more industrial plants. The region around Metz and Thionville contributes to the cross-border pollution. When the westerly wind blows, it brings not only French lifestyle but also emissions. Saarland breathes in the pollutants of two nations – without influencing the decisions made on the other side of the border.
The State Office for the Environment continuously monitors air quality in Saarland at several measuring stations. The data shows that during temperature inversions, when cold air gets trapped in the valleys and warmer layers lie above it like a lid, particulate matter levels in Saarland rise sharply. Saarland's topography – the Hunsrück hills in the north, the Palatinate Forest in the east, and the Lorraine Scarplands in the south – favors such situations. Air masses circulate poorly, and pollutants accumulate.
When pollen becomes more aggressive
For allergy sufferers in Saarland, the suffering begins particularly early. The mild climate, which makes the region one of the warmest in Germany, means that hazel pollen sometimes appears as early as December. Saarland is regularly among the first areas affected by pollen in Germany – even before many other major cities. It is estimated that about one in four residents suffers from hay fever or other pollen allergies.
But the real problem lies in the combination of pollen and air pollutants. Fine particulate matter in Saarland, especially diesel soot particles, adheres to the pollen surface and significantly intensifies the allergic reaction . Scientific studies have shown that birch pollen can become considerably more aggressive due to fine particulate matter – some studies even speak of a doubling or tripling of its allergenic potential. These are serious consequences of air pollution. The production of IgE antibodies, the triggers of allergic reactions, increases dramatically.
For people with allergic asthma, this creates a double burden: the underlying irritation from industrial emissions coincides with the seasonal challenge of pollen. High concentrations of particulate matter lead to an increase in respiratory infections, shortness of breath, and coughing. Asthmatics, in particular, show increased medication use. The result: more frequent and severe asthma attacks, increased medication requirements, and a noticeable reduction in quality of life throughout the entire pollen season.
Steel and dust: The industrial heritage
Steel production is a dirty business, even though it has become cleaner. The large steel companies in the Saarland employ thousands of people and shape entire neighborhoods. The upstream coke and pig iron production in Dillingen, the blast furnaces, the rolling mills – they all contribute to the emissions. In recent years, comprehensive measures have been implemented to reduce dust. Dust extraction systems, state-of-the-art exhaust gas cleaning technologies, and new burner technologies have reduced emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides in the Saarland.
However, even the most modern technology does not completely eliminate emissions. Particularly ultrafine particles below 2.5 micrometers – PM2.5 – can partially pass through even the best filters. They are not only produced directly in blast furnaces, but also secondarily when gases react in the atmosphere. These particles are so small that they can penetrate deep into the alveoli of the lungs and enter the bloodstream. The World Health Organization has significantly tightened its recommended limits in recent years – to levels that are not always met in Saarland either.
The legacy of the mines
The Saarland has a special relationship with its respiratory system. Its mining history, which ended in 2012 with the closure of the last mine, shaped generations. At its peak, tens of thousands of people worked in the Saarland's mines. The coal dust settled in the miners' lungs, leading to respiratory problems and lung cancer. Silicosis – the so-called "dust lung" – was considered a typical miner's disease and was only recognized as an occupational disease in 1929.
Grandfathers sitting coughing on the bench in front of the house. Fathers who retired too early. Families who learned that breathing is not something to be taken for granted. This cultural heritage still shapes how we deal with air pollution today. We know the feeling when our chest tightens. We know what shortness of breath means. And perhaps that's why we accept that the air quality in Saarland is still not as clean as it could be.
The motorway junction as a pollution corridor
In addition to its industrial base load, Saarland also faces significant traffic congestion. It serves as a transit region between France and mainland Germany, and between the Benelux countries and the south. Several major highways traverse this small state – the A620 along the Saar River, the A1 towards Trier, and the A6 to Mannheim. They run through a region too small to absorb all the traffic.
The highest nitrogen oxide levels are measured at monitoring stations located near roads. Nitrogen dioxide acts as an irritant gas, directly affecting the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Nitrogen oxides exacerbate allergies, and soot particles are carcinogenic. Pollution levels are particularly high in urban areas where residential buildings are within earshot of the highway.
Air quality in Saarland has improved in recent years, and legal limits are generally met. However, "met" does not mean "safe." Even lower concentrations can be problematic for people with sensitive airways, allergies, and asthma – especially in combination with pollen, industrial emissions, and adverse weather conditions.
Living with polluted air
How do you live with this reality? For many Saarlanders, it's as much a part of everyday life as grilling on the weekend and having Lyoner sausage on bread. You adapt. You air out your home early in the morning before the traffic gets heavier. You check air quality apps before going for a run. You carry antihistamines in your bag and have an asthma inhaler in your drawer.
Industry is investing in transformation. Hydrogen-based steel production is expected to drastically reduce emissions in the coming years – a step towards green steel in Saarland. New technologies will gradually replace the old blast furnaces. Less CO₂ also means less particulate matter in Saarland as a byproduct. The future of the Saarland steel industry is set to become greener – at least that's what the plans promise.
For allergy sufferers and people with pre-existing respiratory conditions, the question remains: What can be done until major changes take effect? Home becomes a sanctuary. Air purifiers with HEPA filters can remove fine dust from the air. Proper ventilation means ventilating when outdoor pollution levels are low – not leaving windows permanently tilted. Medical care must be tailored to the regional pollution levels: regular lung function tests, adjusted medication, and emergency plans for bad days and the pollen season in Saarland. This can help mitigate the effects of air pollution.
Some sufferers find additional relief through salt inhalation. In Saarland, which has historical ties to the Lorraine saltworks, the knowledge of the soothing effect of salty air is alive and well. Small graduation towers for home use, such as the mini-saline, can enrich the room air with fine salt aerosols – not a substitute for medical therapy, but a complementary support for irritated mucous membranes, especially during pollen season or on days with high levels of particulate matter.
A country between heritage and hope
Saarland won't need to reinvent itself – it's already doing so. The steelworks will remain, but they will become cleaner, especially through the Green Steel Saarland initiative. Transit traffic won't disappear, but it will become more electric. Cross-border cooperation will increase, perhaps also in the area of air pollution control.
For people like Werner B., the hope remains that every day with slightly less particulate matter in Saarland is a day with slightly clearer air. That his grandchildren might be able to look out the window in spring without antihistamines. That Saarland will one day no longer be synonymous with both – steel and heavy lungs – but rather with a region that bears its history without being suffocated by it, and where the air quality in Saarland is significantly better.
The chimneys above Dillingen will continue to smoke, albeit more cleanly. The pollen will continue to fly, though perhaps less aggressively. And the people of the Saarland will continue to breathe – knowing that clean air is not something to be taken for granted, but something worth fighting for. Every day, with every breath.
(Image sources: Envato, Pixabay)
