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Last changed: 7/02/12
Germany participates in a multitude of international monitoring programmes set up under the Geneva Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. The aim of the activities is to explore and monitor the potential adverse effects of air pollutants on human health, ecosystems and materials. The results are compiled by the Working Group on Effects, which is currently having its thirtieth session.
The levels of particulate matter pollution in Germany’s inner cities continue to remain too high. Each year there are quite a number of measuring stations at which the ceiling of 50 microgrammes per cubic metre of air is exceeded on more than the allowable 35 days a year. UBA recommends concrete action to effectively reduce particulate matter pollution – based on comprehensive findings about development.
Have emissions of air pollutants continued their decline? Will the targets be achieved? Annual emissions inventories are taken to assess just this. The German inventories of 1990-2008, as required by the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (UNECE - CLRTAP), were published and submitted to the international committees in spring 2010. The inventory reports record the volume and development of emissions. The Informative Inventory Report details the trends and the data sets used.
New air pollution control requirements for industrial installations such as waste incinerators and power plants, and associated changes in the relevant legislation and secondary legislation have made it necessary to revise the Manual on Emission Monitoring. The manual provides comprehensive information on the legal basis and on how to perform emission measurements. It represents an important reference tool for emission monitoring practice in Germany.
Heating with wood is good for the climate. Yet, wood stoves and boilers also emit fine particles that are harmful to health. The German Federal Government is planning to require owners of certain fireplaces and tiled stoves to install soot filters. Modern wood combustion installations are already relatively low in particulate emissions. The ”Blue Angel” eco-label identifies wood pellet stoves and boilers that feature particularly low emissions.
Human activities not only increase atmospheric concentrations of the familiar greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), they also cause the release of other greenhouse gases. For some years now, measurement data from the Federal Environment Agency’s air monitoring stations show an accelerated rise in sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) levels in the atmosphere, and a current publication also shows such rise for nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). One tonne of these gases has a global warming potential 10,000-fold that of a tonne of CO2.
Gaseous ammonia harms ecosystems and is mainly generated from agricultural sources. A study commissioned to KTBL e.V. by UBA demonstrates that mitigation of agricultural emissions is feasible and may even lead to cost savings for farmers. For example, a protein-adjusted diet for fattening pigs reduces both nitrogen excretion and feed costs. The study presents a number of relevant measures, offers a cost-benefit analysis and thus provides policymakers and practitioners with useful input.
On 1 January 2012 the cities of Heidenheim and Urbach introduced new low-emission zones, allowing only vehicles bearing a yellow or green adhesive sticker into their centres. The low-emission zone of Pleidelsheim spans the region of Pleidelsheim, Ingersheim, and Freiberg. Many cities in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria have restricted vehicle access into their low-emission zones and are no longer accepting red sticker vehicles. The green sticker is the only vehicle allowed in Frankfurt/Main, Osnabrück and Stuttgart. Munich will follow suit on 1 October 2012. The new Ruhr District low-emission zone combines new and existing low-emission zones (Bochum, Bottrop, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Gladbeck, Herne, Herten, Mülheim, Oberhausen and Recklinghausen). A low-emission zone was also introduced in Hagen the beginning of the year.
Two workshops took place in May 2008 and October 2009 in Yerevan and St. Petersburg, respectively, which aimed to support countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in ratifying the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and in transposing it into national law. The brochure that documents the workshop in Yerevan contains scientific contributions and a checklist to assist in the ratification of the UNECE Protocol on Heavy metals, supplemented by experiences from Eastern and Western European countries as well as reports on monitoring of pollutants and environmental effects.
The Federal Environment Agency now has a new service: an interactive and user-oriented map service provides large-scale visualisation of air pollution by particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide, and ozone in Germany.
A research project commissioned by the UBA analyses economic instruments designed to reduce emissions from seagoing ships. The results are presented in two studies. One deals with the extension of the EU emissions trading scheme to shipping, and the second study evaluates different market-based instruments for abatement of emissions from shipping, taking the Baltic Sea as pilot region.
More than two thirds of Germany’s forest trees are damaged. Implementation of the strategy to control nitrogen emissions proposed by the Federal Environment Agency could decrease air pollution and also improve the condition of Germany’s forests.
Nitrogen emissions from agriculture, transport, energy generation and industry threaten biodiversity, contaminate water bodies, and increase concentrations of greenhouse gases and fine particulate matter in air. The UBA has developed an integrated strategy for reduction of nitrogen emissions, which points out synergies in reaching various environmental targets. Measures in agriculture show a high reduction potential with high cost effectiveness.