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Air quality and ozone layer

29 important questions on Air quality and ozone layer

What are the differences and similarities between climate change and the thinning of the ozone layer?

Emissions of certain substances (caused by industry, agriculture etc.) lead to depletion of the ozone layer and others (caused by energy production, traffic etc.) lead to climate change. The difference is therefore the certain substances and the causes, and the similarity is that air pollution is the cause of both

What are the main pollutants in urban areas and what are their health effects?

benzene, heavy metals, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulates and sulphur dioxide. All of these can lead to health effects like cancer, digestive problems, cardiac problems etc. according to the World Health Organization and EU standards the air quality in urban areas in Europe are not met.

What is the main international convention on air pollution?

The Geneva Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (1979 LRTAP Convention)

How has this convention been implemented in the EU?

It has been implemented through Directive 2008/50.

What is citizen sensing and what could be its role in air pollution law?

Urban sensing is people sensing/ monitoring for air pollution. There is a dustbox which looks at air pollution, this is a tool citizen sense (company) uses to help citizen sensing. Citizen sensing technology allows citizens to collect data to understand the exposure of air pollution, at the same time it could also generate data that could support judicial proceedings. (these dustboxes can be lend out to people)

How has the phase-out of ozone depleting substances been regulated under the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol?

As a result of the phase out of ozone depleting, a ban of export from parties unless for destruction has been implemented.

These international instruments are generally seen as international environmental law’s success story. Why, do you think, was this such a success, especially when compared to other topics like climate change? What are the remaining challenges?

I believe these where successful cause there where clear common regulations that everyone could agree on, however when it comes to the topic of climate change this considered the daily lives of a lot of people across the whole world therefore this is harder to agree on than for example ozone depleting because that had less affect on individual states and individual people. I do however still believe there are challenges especially considering air pollution and climate change. ??

What is air pollution? (Not super important, more as just a thing to now)

Emissions into the air of substances that are harmful for human health: o Ground level ozone (O3 ), benzene, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2 ), nitrogen oxides (NOx ), ammonia (NH3 ), heavy metals o Caused by industry, traffic, livestock, energy production

Which of these emission are also harmfull to the environment?

Several of these are also harmful for nature: o SO2 , NOx , NH3 o Caused by industry, traffic, livestock

Which emission lead to ozone problems?

Emissions of some substances leads to depletion of the ozone layer: o CFC, HCFS, halons, methyl bromide Gedownload door Esmee De Koning (esmay100@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|5097417 o Caused by industry (refrigerators, air conditioners, aerosol spraying cans, solvents, drycleaning), agriculture (methyl bromide to sterilise soils)

Which emissions lead to climate change?

Emissions of some substances leads to climate change: o Carbon dioxide (CO2 ), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Methane (CH4 ), CFC o Caused by energy production, traffic, industry, agriculture. See session 11

What conclusion did the european environment agency 2021 make?

overview of air quality in EU o Air quality in urban areas does not meet World Health Organization and EU standards (latter are less strict) o Exposure to PM2.5 concentrations was responsible for about 307,000 premature deaths in the EU in 2019 (+ 40,400 and 16,800 for NO2/NOx and O3 concentrations respectively) o Severe impact on quality of water, soil and nature (nitrogen):

What is the geneva convention on longe range transboundery air pollution?

o Framework convention (information, research) o Several Protocols:  Financing monitoring (1984)  Heavy metals –lead, cadmium, mercury– (1998, revised 2012)  Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (1998, revised 2009)  Gothenburg ‘multi pollutant’ protocol –sulphur (SO2 ), nitrogen oxides (NOx ), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ammonia (NH3 ): aimed at abating acidification, eutrophication, ground level ozone (1999, revised 2012

What is the best available techniques?

Best available techniques have to be applied (in environmental permit)  It shows that you not only have to achieve the emission goals but you also have to use the best available techniques to achieve these goals. The idea is that over time new technology becomes available, and then the use of these techniques will always be the new ones to achieve the emission goals.

How is LRTAP implented in eu law?

UN/ECE. 51 states ratified, including US, Canada, EU o Implemented in EU through Directive 2008/50 (and other Directives)

Directive 2008/50 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe  much more diverse set of rules compared to the LRTAP.

What is the air plan and what is the action plan in this directive?

Air quality plan: measures to achieve values when these are exceeded o Action plan: same, when there is a risk of exceeding  This is drafted when there is a risk of exceeding not when they have exceeded already.

What does this directive say about the information around air quality?

Information on local air quality has to be made available to the population  E.g.: exceedances, forecast for the next day  Citizen sensing is becoming increasingly popular across the world

How are changes implemented under this directive?

Changes needed to implement Zero Pollution Action Plan (2050 goal: no harmful pollution for humans and ecosystems)

Directiove 2008/50 cases Janacek

- Janacek case (C-237/07): Gedownload door Esmee De Koning (esmay100@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|5097417 o Individuals can force authorities to adopt action plan o Authorities cannot take measures that do not limit exceedances to minimum (enforceable in court

Directive 2008/50 earth case

nt Earth case (C-404/13): o Not all conditions exemption met (air quality plan drafted with 5 year postponement, but no notification European Commission) → domestic courts must order new air quality plan, no exceedances permitted (‘take any necessary measure’)

Directive 2008/50 DUH case

DUH case, VerwaltungsGericht Berlin 9 October 2018 o City of Berlin has to ban older diesel cars from certain areas in Berlin to meet 40 µg/m3 quality standard from Directive 2008/50 o Here the court goes even further than saying you have to achieve the goal, it says you have to ban older diesel cars otherwise you will not achieve the goal. Here therefore they do not give the freedom to choose the method. - The court does not leave any room for states to not implement the directive. Conclusion: strict rules with a big impact

What does the kyiv protocol say about pollutant release register?

Kyiv Protocol on pollutant release register -

Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR) under the Aarhus Convention, in force since 2009 -

Industrial emissions and waste have to be registered and made public by authorities, through the internet
- Implemented in the EU with Regulation 166/2006 on European Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers - This is about individual activities/ industries, you have to publish all the information, like permits, data, etc. all have to be published online

What is the montreal protocol?

Vienna Convention is a framework convention which then led to the Montreal Protocol which has specific rules and requirements.Precautionary principle o Several amendments since 1987

What is the relation between the montreal protocol and CFC

Controlled substances’ (CFC, HCFS, halons, methyl bromide etc.) o CFC also is greenhouse gas (not regulated under UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, since it is already regulated under the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol) o CFC is only covered under the Montreal Protocol.

What are the instruments of the montreal protocol?

Instruments Montreal Protocol Gedownload door Esmee De Koning (esmay100@gmail.com) lOMoARcPSD|5097417 o Consumption limitations o Production limitations o Complete phase out of substances (varying dates for different substances, variations between developed and developing countries) - Trade to/from non-parties banned (listed substances and products that contain listed substances) - After phase-out: ban of export from parties unless for destruction - Relatively successful (-98%), although

What are still issues with the montreal protocol?

Illegal trade is an issue o Incorrect reporting (compliance data based upon national reports):  A rise of CFC-11 levels has been detected in recent years: illegal and unreported production somewhere. Source identified in 2019: China

Implementation in EU through Regulation 1005/2009 on ODS? What is it and how is it diffrent from the montreal protocol?

mplementation in EU through Regulation 1005/2009 on ozone depleting substances (ODS): o Stricter than Montreal Protocol o Central role European Commission – licensing, monitoring through online ODS licensing system  EU well ahead of deadlines Montreal Protocol

What does the green deal say about air ?

Green Deal: cleaner ambient air 2030, zero pollution 2050

How is th kyiv protocol implemented in eu?

Implemented in the EU with Regulation 166/2006 on European
Pollutant Release and Transfer Register

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