a common website and air quality indices to compare cities across Europe Karine Leger - Airparif

Transcription

1 Towards eenvironment Prague - a common website and air quality indices to compare cities across Europe Karine Leger - Airparif

2 CONTENT The CITEAIR Project Public display of air quality information: European context CITEAIR s common air quality indices airqualitynow.eu Perspectives

3 Main purpose CITEAIR II : common information to European air (INTERREG Ivc, ) Objectives: - provide a simple, updated, and comparable information in the cities in Europe for the general public - take into account the differences among the AQ networks and the capacities for further developments 2 nd part of a previous project CITEAIR (INTERREG IIIc)

4 Partners 11 partners from 8 Member States: Technical organizations, local authorities and Networks AIRPARIF - air quality monitoring agency Ile-de-France region and Paris area- coordinator DCMR - Environment Protection Agency Rijnmond (NL) ATAC - Mobility Agency of the City of Rome INERIS French National Institute of Industrial environment and risks CHMI - Czech Hydrometeorological Institute RIEW- Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Waters- Bulgaria EGMASA- environmental agency of Andalusia (Spain) Municipality of Maribor- Slovenia URM- City Development Authority of Prague Polis - network of EU cities and regions for innovative technologies and policies for local transport- Brussels REC - Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe- Office of Slovenia

5 PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AIR QUALITY INFORMATION : European context and potential for developing common indices

6 European context Public information: EU requirement: EU directives and Aarhus convention needed for local policies Dissemination of modelled or monitored air quality data : mostly on the internet most widespread way: index ranging from good to bad Information available for air quality experts : Ozone Web (see Ozone Web, ozone.eionet.eu.int) AirBase (see airbase.eionet.eu.int)

7 European context Advantages of air quality indices Simple information easiest to understand for the general public (instead of µg/m3 or ppb) Many of them already available in different countries / cities provide an homogenous information inside of a country may allow comparison of cities inside of a country

8 European context However comparisons are difficult to make: Different presentations (colour code, class boundaries, qualification) Different interpretation criteria - Some taking into account EU alert thresholds but not for the same class - and the UK index being based on acute health effects Based on different typologies of stations, not often clearly explained Different methodology of calculation, not often detailed Which monitoring method is being used (e.g for PM 10)?

9 European context EG: air quality comparison in 4 CITEAIR and large EU cities Rome, Rotterdam, Prague and Paris You need to search at least 4 websites but 1 st to identify the right body in charge of air quality monitoring : - The national or regional government? - The municipality? Its traffic, environment or health department? - An environmental body or an NGO? You will then be faced with 4 completely different indices Thus assuming that you understand 4 languages!! almost impossible for the general public

10 European context A common AQI did not exist at the European scale Despite EU common regulations Different AQI even sometimes inside of a same country CITEAIR s proposes a common index A bottom up initiative : coming from cities themselves On a voluntary basis

11 CITEAIR s COMMON AIR QUALITY INDICES

12 The common indices An n agreement and a compromise between Existing indices: Developed after a review of existing indices and statistical tests (UK, Brussels POLLUMETER, South African index, French ATMO, US EPA s AQI ) Resembles existing ones - the Brussel s POLLUMETER, - the German index - and the French ATMO, an index technically rigorous and communication issues CITEAIRS common index makes comparisons possible but will not replace the existing and more detailed local information

13 The common indices Two different indices: Representative of two types of exposure and pollutants of main concern An urban background index Representative of the average background situation of the city Main pollutants (data mandatory): PM10, NO2 and O3 Additional pollutants (only if data available): SO2 A traffic index Showing typical roadside situation in the city Main pollutants: PM10, NO2 Additional pollutans: CO

14 The common indices Pollutants taken into account: The need for additional pollutants Will hardly make the index in most of the CITEAIR s cities but: EU regulations (even alert threshold for SO2) Health effects (but at higher levels) CO : traffic and heating indicator SO2: indicator for diesel traffic and industrial activities In cities with industrial pollution or a seaport, SO2 might occasionally play a role

15 The common indices Three time scales An hourly index for today (D) Calculated every hours Only concerns the cities able to provide hourly values A daily index for yesterday (D-1) Based on maximum hourly concentrations of the past day Calculated once a day Displayed at D on the CITEAIR common website Concerns most cities taking part in this website An annual index

16 Hourly and daily indices Linked with EU hourly and daily regulations alert thresholds: SO2, NO2, 03, AQ objectives on a daily basis (when available): CO, PM10 CO and SO2 borders: Principle of calculation Additional inspiration from the South African index (sub-index based on relative risk attributed to each component) Dynamic enough to entice repeated visits Hourly index, hourly updates for the current day MAJOR INTEREST for the public, the authorities and the media Class borders chosen to allow for changing pollutants determining the index.

17 Hourly and daily indices Principle of calculation Must be understandable by the public 5 levels a scale ranging from 0 (very low) to >100 (very high): One sub index per pollutant: The worst sub index makes the index of the day 1st Circulated among the core cities to reach on a common agreement from the technical and communication point of view Main concern: the particles grid

18 Hourly and daily indices Principle of calculation: calculation grid A sub index is calculated for each pollutant the worst pollutant determines the index of the day

19 The annual index Principle of calculation Objectives better take into account long term exposure based on EU annual limit value / target values (linked to WHO recommendations and health protection) Concerns all cities taking part in this website presented as a distance to target index where target is derived from the directives

20 The common indices Those indices are not aimed at replacing the existing local indices Main interest: comparison at the European scale Difficult link between the index and health effects (short term +cocktail effect) Key issue: dynamic and attractive for the public Methodology: scientific but pragmatic and participative Based on a common agreement from the partners Feedbacks and peer review from AQ experts and authorities - local, national and EU authorities (eg: MEP- ENVI Committee) - EEA, DG environment, Easy to join for any city, independently of its IT or monitoring expertise (automated data transfer)

21 A COMMON INFORMATION PLATEFORM airqualitynow.org

22 Attractiveness of a common index and web site Information provided linked to people s preoccupations: what is the air quality where I am living compared to where I am traveling? exposure caused by the traffic vs background conditions An information related as much as possible to EU limit values and alert thresholds : main concern for sensitive people Long term exposure taken into account through an annual index

23 Participating cities Currently 45 participating cities (7 cities at the beginning) Long process (data ownership, data producers.): Amsterdam Basel Berlin Bratislava Bristol Bruxelles Coventry Clermont-Fd Freeburg Gdansk Gdynia Karlsruhe Leicester Mannheim Munich Oslo Padova Paris Prague Reims Rome Rotterdam Rouen Sopot Strasbourg Stuttgart Toulouse Zurich Additional city are still joining in

24 Comparisons possible 2 types of exposure: Background vs traffic Different time scales: Today (hourly update) vs yesterday 24/03/ :00

25 Annual comparisons Different time scales: Today vs yesterday on an annual basis (annual index since 2003 for some cities) 2 types of exposure: Background vs traffic

26 Detailed information for each city Details of its indices sub index per pollutant and for each index: traffic and background for today and yesterday

27 Detailed information for each city Details of its annual index for background and traffic conditions and for each pollutant

28 Detailed information for each city City information page : air quality issues with a comparable format background information (geography) environmental situation towards air quality air quality improvements (action plans implemented) related links Link with the local AQ network :

29 Some perspectives for further developments

30 In summary Value added of common indices and website: A simple, comparable and up to date AQ AQ information from different cities across Europe for the pollutants of main concern inspired by EU regulations easy to consult (international platform, common presentation) in addition to local information but not for compliance checking

31 Perspectives from CITEAIR II Common air quality indices: Integration of PM2.5 according to the new directive A forecast : tomorrow s common air quality index Exchange of expertise and best practices : Make the link between Air pollution and climate change Integration of GHG into Air pollutant emission inventories mobility indicator (CO2 emission from the traffic) Common website display of those development to inform the public on a comparable way additional cities still joining in 5 Translations Further partnerships with the media

32 Perspectives from other users Mapped indices (Paris and its surrounding area) a small piece in the atmosphere climate and the GMES puzzle? Undergoing discussions in MS about their index: Prague, France Partnerships with the Media

33 Thank you for kind your attention More information on air quality in EU cities and how to join: on CITEAIR II: (available in April) on the INTERREG IVC :