Rapport

Recommendations for the revision of the ambient air quality directives (AAQDs) regarding modelling applications

Thunis, P.; Janssen, S.; Wesseling, J.; Piersanti, A.; Pirovano, G.; Tarrasón, Leonor; Martin, F.; Lopez-Aparicio, Susana; Bessagnet, B.; Guevara, M.; Monteiro, A.; Clappier, A.; Pisoni, E.; Guerreiro, Cristina; Ortiz, A. G.

The Forum for Air Quality Modelling (FAIRMODE) is a European network to exchange experiences and competences on the use of air quality models in the context of the Ambient Air Quality Directives. Its purpose is to identify and promote the use of good practices for air quality modelling and to propose harmonized ways to assess the quality of model-based air quality applications by EU Member States. The recommendations in this document are part of FAIRMODE’s contribution to the on-going revision of the EU Ambient Air Quality Directives (Directives 2008/50/EC and 2004/107/EC, hereafter AAQDs) initiated by the European Commission and are an update of the previous recommendations to the Fitness check of those Directives (Thunis et al. 2019). This document builds on the existing recommendations from FAIRMODE provided in 2019 regarding modelling applications. The current document has been revised in view of the latest consensus on the maturity of modelling applications and their uses for air quality management purposes. It provides strategic and technical recommendations where there is significant level consensus within the FAIRMODE expert community. It identifies how and where these recommendations may be included in the context of the revision of the AAQDs. These recommendations would require additional work of Member States were they to be implemented and would have implications for the work of the FAIRMODE network concerning the development of relevant guidance documents to support the recommendations.

Publications Office of the European Union

Re-evaluation and Homogenization of Aerosol Optical Depth Observations in Svalbard (ReHearsol). RCN Project No: 311250/E40 - ReHearsol Final Report

Hansen, Georg H.; Zielinski, Tymon; Pakszys, Paulina; Ritter, Christoph; Gilardoni, Stefania; Eleftheriadis, Konstantinos; Kouremeti, Natalia; Mateos, David; Herrero, Sara; Kazadzis, Stelios; Mazzola, Mauro; Stebel, Kerstin

The aim of this project was to collect, integrate and analyse observations of climate-relevant aerosol parameters (aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångstrøm exponent (AE), black carbon (BC)) in and around Svalbard. These observations have been performed at different places and with different instrument types, the analysis procedures of which follow different protocols. Annual merged datasets of AOD, AE and BC have been provided to the SIOS Data Management System and are now available for network-wide use in, e.g., Arctic climate and pollution studies. The analysis of the 2002-2020 data have confirmed earlier results showing a good correlation between measurements in Ny-Ålesund and Hornsund, but not a high degree of short-term agreement due to aerosol variability arising from geographical locations and local conditions. There is also a clear link between the columnar AOD/AE-measurements and in-situ aerosol measurements at Gruvebadet Observatory, while a comparison of in-situ measurements at Gruvebadet and Zeppelin Observatory shows deviations varying with season.

NILU

The Covid-19 pandemic and environmental stressors in Europe: synergies and interplays

Bartonova, Alena (eds.) Colette, Augustin; Zhang, Holly; Fons, Jaume; Liu, Hai-Ying; Brzezina, Jachym; Chantreux, Adrien; Couvidat, Florian; Guerreiro, Cristina; Guevara, Marc; Kuenen, Jeroen J.P.; Solberg, Sverre; Super, Ingrid; Szanto, Courtney; Tarrasón, Leonor; Thornton, Annie; Ortiz, Alberto González

This report provides an overview of the potential impacts of Covid-19 restrictions, in particular, focusing on review and assessment of Covid-19 impacts on air quality, for the year 2020. Complementary analyses address compliance with the National Emission reductions Commitments (NEC) Directive and noise. This expands the initial analysis of impacts of the pandemic-related restrictions on air quality based on data for the first months of 2020, presented in the EEA Air quality report for 2020. The results show a clear decline in NO2 short-term levels and annual average throughout Europe. Results for other pollutants are less uniform, and mostly do not show significant changes in annual average or other relevant metrics . The results regarding air quality are robust, obtained by a wealth of methods and consistent also with literature findings. The noise analysis shows a general decline in noise levels related to road traffic, though some areas show an increase. An analysis of policies and measures reported by Member States in 2021 for base year 2019 shows that additional measures related to emissions of NH3 are expected to be negatively impacted to the greatest extent by the Covid-19 related restrictions.

ETC/ATNI

Monitoring atmospheric composition and deposition in Norway

Aas, Wenche; Bohlin-Nizzetto, Pernilla; Hak, Claudia; Pfaffhuber, Katrine Aspmo; Uggerud, Hilde Thelle

The Norwegian monitoring programme is set up to meet national and international obligations and needs for measurement data with a long-term commitment. The data are important for compliance monitoring as well as input for effect studies. The monitoring of atmospheric composition and deposition are organised under national programmes mainly funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency in addition to some direct support from the Ministry of Climate and Environment. NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research is responsible for the daily operation and reporting of the results from this monitoring. The monitoring aim to fulfil several inter-connected purposes and is divided in four main programmes: transboundary fluxes, contaminants, climate change and the ozone layer. In addition, regularly moss surveys are conducted to assess atmospheric deposition of pollutants such as heavy metals.

NILU

Screening Programme 2020, Part 1 and 2: Plastic Additives and REACH Compounds

Schlabach, Martin; Bavel, Bert van; Bæk, Kine; Dadkhah, Mona Eftekhar; Eikenes, Heidi; Halse, Anne Karine; Nikiforov, Vladimir; Bohlin-Nizzetto, Pernilla; Reid, Malcolm James; Rostkowski, Pawel; Rundberget, Thomas; Baz-Lomba, Jose Antonio; Kringstad, Alfhild; Rødland, Elisabeth Strandbråten; Schmidbauer, Norbert; Harju, Mikael; Beylich, Bjørnar; Vogelsang, Christian

I screening 2020 gjennomført av Norsk institutt for vannforskning (NIVA) og NILU-Norsk institutt for luftforskning i fellesskap ble det satt søkelys på forekomst og mulige miljøproblemer av 160 kjemikalier. Forbindelser som er valgt ut til Screening 2020 inkluderer tilsetningsstoffer til plast og nylig registrerte stoffer i REACH registeret.

Norsk institutt for vannforskning (NIVA)