Towards new developments for The common air quality indices (CAQI) and the common operational website

Transcription

1 Prague s conference- 8th of December 2006 Towards new developments for The common air quality indices (CAQI) and the common operational website Karine Leger, Airparif, Ile-de de-france Sef van den Elshout,, DCMR EPA Rotterdam/Rijnmond Rijnmond

2 CONTENT: Public display of air quality information: European context CITEAIR s common air quality indices What s new? now and tomorrow?

3 PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AIR QUALITY INFORMATION : European context and potential for developing a common index

4 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)

5 European context Advantages of air quality indices: Simple information more understandable by 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

6 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 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)?

7 Example: air quality comparison in 4 CITEAIR s cities Rome, Rotterdam, Leicester and Paris You need to search at least 4 websites and 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? Your are then faced with 4 completely different indices Thus assuming that you understand 4 languages almost impossible for the general public

8 European context BUT a common AQI does 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 An initiative coming from cities themselves

9 CITEAIR s COMMON AIR QUALITY INDEX

10 Two different 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 pollutants: CO

11 The common indices: 3 time scales An hourly index for today (D) Calculated every hours Only concerns the cities able to provide hourly values but of MAJOR INTEREST for the public, the authorities and the media 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 A sub index is calculated for each pollutant the worst pollutant determines the index of the day

12 The common index: a compromise Between a number of objectives: Communication to the general public (target group) Scientifically reasonably rigorous - presented in different symposiums and to experts for feedbacks - feedbacks will be used to review the PM10 calculation grid Common agreement, at first between the CITEAIR s cities and review at the end of the project Easy to join for any city - hourly, daily or annual data - data transfer and calculation automated

13 The common index: a compromise Between existing indices: Developed after a review of existing indices (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,

14 The common index: a compromise Between technical issues: CITEAIR can not solve technical issues such as: Uniformity in PM measurements Data quality control, e.g. site selection of monitoring stations

15 The common index: 3 time scales A dynamic index to entice repeated visits Hourly index, hourly updates for the current day Class borders chosen to allow for changing pollutants determining the index. But class borders are not linked with short term health effects to avoid an index: - always low and not dynamic enough - which would be confusing when local communication is based on hot spots and exceedences of the EU regulations

16 The common index: 2 time scales Hourly and daily index

17 The common index: 3 time scales An annual index to better take into account long term exposure based on EU annual limit value / target values, Concerns all cities taking part in this website presented as a distance to target index where target is derived from the directives

18 An annual index The common index: 3 time scales Data provided by the cities once a year through a common upload form

19 The common index: 3 time scales Annual index Po llutant Target value / limit value Calculation NO 2 Year average is 40 µg/m 3 Year average / 40 PM 10 Year average is 40 µg/m 3 Year average / 40 Number of daily averages above 50 µg/m 3 #50 #50 / 35 Ozone The target is an 8 -hour average value of 120 µ g/m 3 Max. 8 -hour average / 120 SO 2 Year average is 20 µg/m 3 Year average / 20 Benzene Year average is 5 µg/m 3 Year average / 5 CO - Not calculated Calculation basis for the year average index

20 Attractiveness for the cities and monitoring networks Easy for the cities to join in but: We take for granted what is provided by the cities CITEAIRS common index makes comparisons possible but will not replace the existing and more detailed local information - people are used to their own index, - local indices are adjusted to local situations The proposed indices and its supporting common web site are designed to give a dynamic picture of the environmental situation in each city NOT for compliance checking,

21 * NGO in charge of air quality monitoring for the Ile-deFrance region - Attractiveness for the cities and monitoring networks Eg. for AIRPARIF* : Comparison with other capitals in Europe question frequently asked by the media and the public within the framework of traffic management policies implemented to reduce air pollution and fulfill the EU directives. Air quality management is a challenge all the cities in Europe are faced with, not only Paris.

22 * NGO in charge of air quality monitoring for the Ile-deFrance region - Attractiveness for the cities and monitoring networks Eg. for AIRPARIF* : Provide additional information to the ATMO index - comparison with other cities possible for the first time, even on an hourly basis - simple information on the air quality close from the traffic: main issue in the Paris area Great opportunity to get in touch with other monitoring networks in Europe - and share experiences - especially in terms of communication / public display of AQ information

23 Attractiveness for the cities and monitoring networks Eg, for cities from new member states CITEAIR could be : - an opportunity to display air quality information to the public - and to raise its awareness Especially if the city which does not : - operate a web site itself - nor rely on any air quality index

24 THE COMMON WEB SITE

25 Participating cities Currently 16 participating cities Berlin, Leicester, Paris, Bratislava, Prague, Bristol, Reims, Bruxelles, Rome, Coventry, Rotterdam Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia, Tczew, Munich Long process (data ownership, data producers.) Only 7 six months ago

26 Participating cities Possible additional cities: London, Leeds, Sheffield in UK, Cork in Ireland, Strasbourg in France, Vienna in Austria, Stuttgart in Germany Contacts with Oslo, Barcelona, Milan, and Madrid Additional city welcomed to join!

27 Comparisons possible 2 types of exposure: - Background - vs traffic Different time scales: - Yesterday - vs today

28 Comparisons possible 2 types of exposure: - Background vs traffic Different time scales: - Yesterday vs today - now also on an annual basis (annual index since 2003)

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

30 Detailed information for each city Details of the annual index for background and traffic conditions and for each pollutant

31 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

32 Undergoing developments Transfer from ATAC to AIRPARIF in order to insure the permanence of the web site successfully implemented during the summer 2006,

33 Undergoing developments Further developments of its ergonomics improvement of the home page map, graphs, historical data

34 Developments in the coming year Workshops Eastern and Southern cities EU parliament Common air quality indices Integration of PM2.5 once the new directive issued A forecast Tomorrow s common air quality index

35 Developments in the coming year Promoted and displayed by the media First interviews and contacts taken with French and English media Radio France, TPS star, (cable television) Nouvel Observateur (weekly newspaper) and discussion for a display of the CITEAIR s index on their website parisobs.nouvelobs.com Media are interested by CITEAIR

36 Number of visits About 2900 visits since August, 1200 different visitors, The number of visits increases every month: 750 visits in September, 800 in October and 900 in November... Most of the visits during the week between 10:00 and 16:00 (working hours) Page the most visited the index one Length of the visits 48% : less than 30 seconds 16% last more than 1 hour Statistics (from August to November 2006)

37 Attractiveness of a common index and web site A common index 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 class borders related as much as possible to EU limit values and alert thresholds : main concern for sensitive people long term exposure will be taken into account through an annual index based on distance to the target set by the EU annual limit values (linked to WHO recommendations and health protection)

38 Conclusion Value added of CITEAIR: A simple, comparable and up to date 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

39 Thank you for your attention