Air pollution by ozone
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Rationale
Justification for indicator selection
Tropospheric ozone is one of the air pollutants of most concern in Europe. Ozone is estimated to cause about 20 000 acute mortalities each year (European Commission, Clean Air for Europe impact assessment, 2006) and economic damage due to crop loss of EUR 4 625 million per year (Holland et al., 2006). Ozone is formed in the lower troposphere as a result of complex chemical reactions between volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, in the presence of sunlight. EU legislation has established ozone exceedance thresholds and national emission ceilings for ozone precursor emissions to protect human health and prevent damage to ecosystems, agricultural crops and materials.
Episodes of elevated ozone levels occur mainly during periods of warm sunny weather (Schichtel and Husar, 2001; Rao et al., 2003). The projected increase in hot extremes in Europe is therefore expected to result in ozone episodes that require more vigorous emission reduction measures and the use of the available adaptation measures such as improved public information and health care services.
Scientific references
- No rationale references available
Indicator definition
- Modelled change in tropospheric ozone concentrations over Europe 1958-2001 and 1978-2001
- Change in number of ozone exceedance days between 1993-1996 and 2000-2004
- Contribution of temperature increase to the change in ozone exceedance days between 1993-1996 and 2000-2004
Units
Policy context and targets
Context description
In April 2009 the European Commission presented a White Paper on the framework for adaptation policies and measures to reduce the European Union's vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The aim is to increase the resilience to climate change of health, property and the productive functions of land, inter alia by improving the management of water resources and ecosystems. More knowledge is needed on climate impact and vulnerability but a considerable amount of information and research already exists which can be shared better through a proposed Clearing House Mechanism. The White Paper stresses the need to mainstream adaptation into existing and new EU policies. A number of Member States have already taken action and several have prepared national adaptation plans. The EU is also developing actions to enhance and finance adaptation in developing countries as part of a new post-2012 global climate agreement expected in Copenhagen (Dec. 2009). For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm
Targets
No targets have been specified
Related policy documents
No related policy documents have been specified
Methodology
Methodology for indicator calculation
Methodology for gap filling
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp193-207CC2008_ch8_Data_gaps.pdf
Methodology references
No methodology references available.
Data specifications
EEA data references
- AirBase - The European air quality database provided by European Environment Agency (EEA)
External data references
Data sources in latest figures
Uncertainties
Methodology uncertainty
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp193-207CC2008_ch8_Data_gaps.pdf
Data sets uncertainty
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp193-207CC2008_ch8_Data_gaps.pdf
Rationale uncertainty
No uncertainty has been specified
Further work
Short term work
Work specified here requires to be completed within 1 year from now.
Long term work
Work specified here will require more than 1 year (from now) to be completed.
General metadata
Responsibility and ownership
EEA Contact Info
John Van AardenneOwnership
Identification
Classification
DPSIR: ImpactTypology: Descriptive indicator (Type A - What is happening to the environment and to humans?)
Permalinks
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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/air-pollution-by-ozone or scan the QR code.
PDF generated on 30 May 2020, 07:32 AM
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