Top Banner
Air quality in Europe - 2013 report
18

Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

Aug 23, 2014

Download

News & Politics

This is a presentation of the ‘Air quality in Europe – 2013 report’. The report presents an overview and analysis of air quality in Europe from 2002 to 2011. It reviews progress towards meeting the requirements of the air quality directives and gives an overview of policies and measures introduced at European level to improve air quality and minimise impacts. An overview of the latest findings and estimates of the effects of air pollution on health and its impacts on ecosystems is also given
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

Page 2: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

Air pollution impacts human health, contributes to climate change and damages ecosystems. Here are some of the pollutants the ‘Air quality in Europe – 2013 report’ investigates and their potential impacts.

Why should we care about air pollution?

Page 3: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

What are the main concerns for Europe’s air in 2013?

Particulate matter (PM) and its threat to human health.

Ozone (O3) due to its health impacts and harm to vegetation.

Eutrophication from high emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3). These pollutants can cause harmful atmospheric deposition of nutrient nitrogen to sensitive ecosystems, such as grasslands and nutrient-poor lakes.

Page 4: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

How does air pollution impact human health?

New scientific findings show that even lower concentrations of air pollution have an effect on human health if citizens are exposed steadily to these low concentrations. Moreover, a recent review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution confirmed that effects on human health from air pollution can occur when concentration levels are below the thresholds established by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines.

Page 5: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

Exposure to harmful levels of air pollution

Up to a third of Europeans living in cities are exposed to air pollutant levels exceeding EU air quality standards. And around 90 % of Europeans living in cities are exposed to levels of air pollutants deemed damaging to health by the World Health Organization’s more stringent guidelines.

EU urban population exposed to harmful levels of air pollution, according to:

EU limit values WHO guidelines

Page 6: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

For pollutant concentrations, two Air Quality Directives (2008/50/EC and 2004/107/EC) set legally binding limits and target values for ground-level concentrations of outdoor air pollutants.

For pollutant emissions, the 2001 National Emissions Ceiling (NEC) Directive sets ceiling limits for emissions of SO2, NOX, NMVOC and NH3. These ceilings should have been met by all EU Member States by 2010.

What has been the European policy response?

EU legislation limits the emissions of pollutants and sets maximum levels for concentrations of these pollutants in the air.

Page 7: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

Emissions have been reduced

EU Member States have made progress in cutting emissions of several air pollutants.

EU emissions of primary particulate matter (PM) and PM precursor gases:

Page 8: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

2011 nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions compared to NEC emission ceilings:

In 2011, seven EU Member States exceeded their National Emissions Ceilings (NEC) Directive emissions ceiling limit for NOx. In total, eight EU Member States were not in compliance with one or more NEC emission ceilings in 2011. These ceilings should have been reached in all Member States by 2010. Data on NEC compliance are available here.

Member States are exceeding emissions targets

Page 9: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

In 2011, 18 EU Member States recorded exceedances of the target value threshold for ozone (O3) concentrations on more than 25 days.

Countries are exceeding concentration targets

Page 10: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

In 2011, 23 EU Member States also recorded exceedances of the EU daily limit value for particulate matter (PM10) concentrations.

Countries are exceeding concentration targets

Page 11: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

PM concentrations threaten health

Despite the reductions in particulate matter emissions in the period 2002 to 2011, the percentage of Europeans exposed to PM levels above EU limit values remained stable over the past ten years.

3 out of 10exposed to exceedances of the EU daily limit value

9 out of 10exposed to exceedances of the WHO guideline value

Share of urban population exposed to dangerous levels of particulate matter (PM10) in Europe:

Page 12: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

High levels of O3 concentrations harm human health and agricultural output. Losses of crop yields also have consequences for the European economy. EU emissions of the precursor gases that form O3 have fallen by up to 32 % since 2002, but there has been no discernible reduction in O3 concentrations.

Ozone concentrations threaten health & crops

Exposure levels of European agricultural areas to ozone (O3) in 2010:

Page 13: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

Nitrogen concentrations threaten ecosystems

NO2 can threaten ecosystems through eutrophication. In 2002-2011, NO2 concentrations did not fall as fast as overall emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). This is also attributed to the increased share of diesel vehicles in the European car fleet, as the proportion of NO2 in the NOx emissions of a diesel vehicle is far higher than the proportion of NO2 in the NOx emissions of a conventional-petrol vehicle.

Annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in 2011:

Page 14: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

Factors contributing to concentration levels

Emission levels are not the only factor that determines concentrations of air pollutants. Factors like the weather, chemical transformations in the air, and transport of pollutants from outside Europe all play a role. This means that a reduction in emissions of a pollutant do not always translate to an equivalent reduction in concentrations of that pollutant.

Page 15: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

Lower emissions do not always lead to lower concentrations

Percentage decline in EU carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM10) emissions and concentrations between 2002-2011:

Carbon Monoxide PM 10

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0Emissions

Concentrations

PM10 emissions are emissions of primary PM10.

PM10 concentrations are primary and secondary PM10 measured at urban background locations.

CO concentrations are daily 8-hour maxima concentrations.

Between 2002 and 2011, there was a significant decline in both the emission levels and the concentration levels for some pollutants (e.g. CO). For some others, there was a noticeable decline in emissions, but not in atmospheric concentrations (e.g. PM10).

Percentage decline

Page 16: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

How can Europe respond to these challenges?

Continued investment in the knowledge baseTogether with other techniques, air monitoring stations across Europe feed the knowledge base on air. While some of the monitoring stations may have been substituted by other techniques, it is important to maintain, and in certain cases improve the monitoring infrastructure.

Further emission reductionsEmissions of some pollutants from certain sectors have increased over the last decade. For example, emissions of PM have increased from homes and commercial facilities. Air pollutant emissions from farming have also changed little in the same period.

Capacity building for implementation The gap between EU air quality targets and the reality of European air quality points to the need for better implementation of air quality rules. Implementation can be improved by building capacity over time and by better understanding the specific problems when implementing environmental legislation.

Countries to meet emission targetsToo many countries are still not in compliance with EU emissions ceilings. These countries must make a renewed effort to reduce their emissions.

Page 17: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

How does the European Environment Agency contribute?

We gather the necessary informationTaking action on air pollution requires timely, reliable information. The European Environment Agency (EEA) plays a central role in gathering, quality checking and making available key data that makes policy development and evaluation possible. Air quality data and information reported by Member States is available via the EEA’s ‘Airbase’. We assess information to inform decision-makingQuantifying both anthropogenic emission sources and air pollutant concentrations leads to a better understanding of what activities contribute most to pollution and the impacts of air pollution. This helps policymakers to create better, more effective air pollution policy. We report on air qualityThe report ‘Air Quality in Europe - 2013’ and other EEA publications on air pollution assess European air quality by looking at two main data sources: emissions of pollutants into the air, and concentrations and impacts of these pollutants in the air.

Page 18: Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

The ‘Air Quality in Europe – 2013 report’ is available in full here.

Other EEA publications on air quality and air pollution can be found here.

Air quality in Europe - 2013 report

eea.europa.eu/air