Particulates and Nitrogen Dioxide in the Brussels Ambient Air need Drastic Emission Reduction

摘要

Over the past 40 years ambient air quality in Brussels improved significantly. This was especially true for sulfur dioxide, lead, nitrogen monoxide, carbon monoxide, benzene and Benzo a pyrene. With respect to the air quality objectives imposed by the most recent European directive 2008/50/EC two major problems remain: nitrogen dioxide and particulates (PM10 and PM2.5). Analysis of measured air quality data show that it will be extremely difficult to become fully compliant, in due time, in all of the different urban environments. A comparison of the average concentration levels in the Brussels Capital Region with those in the surrounding regions, the interpretation of the average daily and weekly concentration profiles and some special observations (e.g. car free Sundays) make clear that some drastic emission reduction will be needed if compliance is to be assured only by measures on the local scale.