Possible Next Steps for Ecosystems in AQS. Alison Vipond Air and Environment Quality Division

Transcription

1 Possible Next Steps for Ecosystems in AQS Alison Vipond Air and Environment Quality Division

2 Outline Impacts on Ecosystems Motivation Current Status Possible next steps Other pollutants ammonia, ozone Summing up

3 Impacts Direct Effects: concentrations of NO x, SO 2, NH 3, O 3 Critical levels Acidification (deposition of NO x, SO 2, NH 3 ) Nitrogen enrichment (deposition of NO x and NH 3 ) Critical Loads NEGTAP report 2001 ww.nbu.ac.uk/negtap

4 Motivation NEGTAP Biodiversity issues rising up agenda PSA target for 95% of SSSIs from 2010 Current objectives are met: policies will go further Problems not solved: e.g. large areas will continue to exceed critical loads from 2010 Ammonia deposition is a problem Background ozone concs increasing

5 Current AQS objectives NO x annual mean 30 micrograms / m 3 SO 2 annual & winter mean 20 micrograms / m 3 Objectives do not apply in exclusion zones: < 20 km from agglomeration < 5 km from motorways, built-up areas and industrial Part A processes

6 Current status Current objectives are met BUT some areas within exclusion zones do not achieve critical levels 72% of SSSIs have mean [NO x ] < 30 micrograms / m 3 >99% of SSSIs have mean [SO 2 ] < 20 micrograms / m 3

7 1998 concentration map for NOx CEH, 2001

8 EXAMPLE: Location of SSSIs in Northern England with 1998 NOx concentrations

9 1998 concentration map for SO 2 CEH, 2001

10 Possible next steps for AQS ecosystem objectives Extend areas to which critical levels for NO x and SO 2 apply Cover high proportion of SSSIs NEGTAP highlight SO 2 critical level of 10 microgram / m 3 to protect the most sensitive species, where relevant to conservation obj. of SSSI

11 Preliminary Assessment Recognition of designated sites Large decreases in SO 2 and NO x historic and planned Planned policies will take us close to achieving critical levels for SO 2 and NO x at all SSSIs

12 Preliminary Assessment 100% of SSSIs achieve 20 micrograms/ m 3 mean [SO 2 ] Tighten critical level to 10 where relevant to interest features of SSSI >95% of SSSIs achieve 30 micrograms/ m 3 mean [NO x ] Cost & benefits work ongoing

13 Ozone No objective for ecosystem protection in AQS at present Emission reduction policy considers vegetation effects Ozone Directive contains target Developing new standard Background levels are rising: global element Mean AOT40 for crops and semi-natural veg, May-July average

14 Ammonia Mainly from livestock manure Critical level: Exceeded in few areas next to large pig and poultry farms Main issue is contribution to critical load exceedence (for terrestrial eutrophication) 2010 BAU: 28% ecosystem area exceeding critical load for nutrient nitrogen (~31% of SSSIs)

15 Areas at risk from Eutrophication (nitrogen enrichment), from deposition of NOx and ammonia above the critical load: keq ha -1 year -1 not exceeded > 1.0 CEH Monks Wood

16 Reducing areas at risk from deposition Transboundary pollutants call for international action Review of Gothenburg Protocol and NECD in 2004/5. Sulphur from shipping. Integrated assessment of NO x, SO 2, NH 3 controls

17 Summing Up DEFRA examining costs and benefits of reviewing eco-objectives for NO x and SO 2 : Examine application to high proportion of SSSIs and tightening SO 2 critical level where relevant More work needed on ozone science and policy Looking ahead to ammonia

18 Thank you for your attention