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The information comes from a European Environment Agency (EEA) report on ground-level ozone levels in summer 2012. The pollutant can cause respiratory problems and other severe illnesses, also damaging crops and the wider environment. A new report published today by the World Health Organization suggests that ozone exposure may be more harmful than previously thought.
During summer 2012, the percentage of sites exceeding the ‘alert threshold’ was the lowest on record, indicating peak episodes were shorter and maximum ozone concentrations were lower. Nonetheless, the ‘long-term objective’ (LTO) to protect human health was exceeded in all EU Member States apart from Estonia, and it is likely many of them will not meet other targets phased in recently.
The lower levels seen during the summer last year were in part due to weather conditions. Ground-level ozone production depends on weather conditions such as sunshine and temperature, and is a result of chemical reactions between other pollutants in the air. These substances are emitted by industry, traffic, farming practices and from other sources.
Ozone pollution can travel great distances, meaning that it is both a local air quality issue and also a global, cross-border problem. This edition of the European Environment Agency (EEA) annual report on summer ozone levels covers the period from April to September 2012. It is based on data from 2 107 monitoring sites across Europe.
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/fewer-summer-ozone-peaks-2012 or scan the QR code.
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