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Major Air Pollutants in Europe

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Air Pollution in Europe 1990 - 2004Air Pollution in Europe 1990 - 2004

EEA Report No 2 / 2007EEA Report No 2 / 2007

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EEA

Topic Centre for Air and Climate Change (ETC/ACC)

Steinar Larssen and Kevin Barrett (NILU)

• Martin Adams (AEA Technology)• Kevin Barrett (NILU)• Maarten van het Bolscher (TNO)• Steinar Larssen (NILU)• Frank de Leeuw (MNP)• Tinus Pulles (TNO)• Maarten van Loon (MetNo)• Addo van Pul (TNO)• Rob Swart (MNP)

o Maximilian Posch (CCE/MNP)o Chris Heyes (CIAM/IIASA)

Anke Lükewille (EEA) Andreas Barkman (EEA) & comments of others at EEA

National focal points, EEA MC European Commission (DG Env.)

EEA

Topic Centre for Air and Climate Change (ETC/ACC)

Steinar Larssen and Kevin Barrett (NILU)

• Martin Adams (AEA Technology)• Kevin Barrett (NILU)• Maarten van het Bolscher (TNO)• Steinar Larssen (NILU)• Frank de Leeuw (MNP)• Tinus Pulles (TNO)• Maarten van Loon (MetNo)• Addo van Pul (TNO)• Rob Swart (MNP)

o Maximilian Posch (CCE/MNP)o Chris Heyes (CIAM/IIASA)

Anke Lükewille (EEA) Andreas Barkman (EEA) & comments of others at EEA

National focal points, EEA MC European Commission (DG Env.)

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PM10 annual means at Prague monitoring stations , > 40 µg/m3

Results of AirBase PM10 monitoring stations

PM10

10

20

30

40

50

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

% o

f urb

an

po

pu

latio

n

Although PM precursor emissions decreased over the period 1990-2004, human exposure did not show improvements!

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PMPM1010 concentrations (2004), 36th highest daily value concentrations (2004), 36th highest daily value

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Pattern of critical loads exceedances of nutrient nitrogenPattern of critical loads exceedances of nutrient nitrogen

Areas in Europe where ecosystems are exposed to atmospheric loads of nitrogen that are greater than the critical load for the most sensitive ecosystem(s) in each 50 x 50 km grid cell.

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Main MessagesMain Messages

Emissions of almost all air pollutants fell substantially in the EEA-32 member countries.

Ambient concentrations of PM10 and O3 in the air have not shown any improvement since 1997.

PM2.5 is now generally recognised to be the main threat to human health from air pollution.

NH3 emitted from agricultural activity and NOx from combustion processes have become the predominant acidifying and eutrophying agents affecting ecosystems.

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