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COVID-19 and Europe's environment: impacts of a global pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people’s lives worldwide. This briefing focuses on what we know about the short-term effects of COVID-19 on our environment, approximately six months after large parts of the world went into some degree of lockdown. It considers what can be learnt from these effects and how they might help shape decision-making in the future.
Designing safe and sustainable products requires a new approach for chemicals
The EU chemicals strategy for sustainability aims to ensure that chemicals are ‘produced and used in a way that maximises their contribution to society … while avoiding harm to the planet and to current and future generations’ (EC, 2020). Building sustainability dimensions into products’ design phase can support the delivery of these objectives. Key features of sustainable products include chemical safety, recyclability and a low environmental impact. This briefing describes approaches that are safe and sustainable by design and identifies enabling conditions, which support their uptake, and the related challenges and opportunities.
Sector contributions of emissions of primary particulate matter and secondary precursors (EEA member countries)
The contribution made by different sectors to emissions of primary PM2.5 and PM10, and to emissions of the secondary particulate matter precursors.
Sector contributions of ozone precursor emissions (EEA member countries)
The contribution made by different sectors to emissions of the tropospheric (ground-level) ozone precursors.
Sector share of PAH emissions (EEA member countries)
Sector share of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Contributions by sector for emissions of acidifying pollutants (EEA member countries)
The contribution made by different sectors to emissions of acidifying pollutants
Sector split of emissions of ozone precursors (EEA member countries; EU-15; New EU-12; Other EEA countries (EFTA-4 and Turkey))
Due to numerical rounding, values may not add exactly to 100%
Sector split of emissions of Particulates (Primary and Secondary) (EEA member countries; EU-15; New EU-12; Other EEA countries (EFTA-4 and Turkey))
Data not available for Liechtenstein.
The nitrogen cycle
Global scheme of nitrogen cycle, showing major nitrogen reservoirs (atmosphere, soil and living organisms), major processes (nitrification, denitrification, nitrogen fixation, assimilation etc.) and actors (plants, animals, bacteria, human beings).
Total expenditures on water pollution control (point sources) since 1992 as a share of gross domestic product
Transport emissions of air pollutants
Industrial releases of pollutants to air and economic activity in the EU-27
The figure shows the trend of pollutant releases into air in the EU-27 from 2010 to 2022 by using 2010 releases values as reference. In addition, gross value added (GVA) from the industry sector is presented.
Trends in average Nitrogen inputs for the period 2000-2005 compared to the year 2000
Urban population exposure: geographical variations
% of population exposed, year 2002 Blank histograms means no exposure
Water pollutant releases changes from 2010 to 2022 for the EU Member States
The table show the top five emission reduction changes in pollutant releases into water in EU-27 Member States from 2010 to 2022.
Water pollution control taxes for final emission of one person equivalent BOD to surface water
Yearly average values of BENTIX and community diversity (H) along a pollution gradient in Izmir Bay at stations 1-15
Colours correspond to EQS classes as defined by BENTIX in accordance with WFD.
Change (%) in HCB emissions 1990-2010 (EEA member countries)
The reported change in hexachlorobenzene (HCB) emissions for each country, 1990-2010.
Nitrogen balance per hectare of agricultural land in OECD countries
Number of days on which at least one exceedance of the 1-hour threshold value was observed per country and per month during summer 2004
Top: Information threshold exceedances
Number of days on which at least one exceedance of the long-term objective for the protection of human health was observed per country and per month during summer 2004
Only countries which delivered data are shown.
Particulate matter pollution
2 comparable maps showing current (2000) and projected (2030) PM10 regional concentrations (population weighted).
Percentage change in PM2.5 and PM10 emissions 1990-2009 (EEA member countries)
The reported change in primary PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter for each country, 1990-2009.
Percentage of groundwater stations in each country exceeding the drinking water standard (50mg of nitrates per litre) during the last two reporting periods, 2012-2015 and 2016-2019, under the Nitrates Directive
The figure shows the percentage of groundwater stations in each EU country and the EU level, exceeding the drinking water standard (50 mg of nitrates per litre) during the last two reporting periods under the Nitrates Directive