European Air Quality Trends for NO2 and PM
Background to European Air Quality Trends for NO2 and PM Air quality is a complex issue as it is influenced by a variety of factors. The term air quality refers to the degree to which the air in a particular place is affected by pollutants. Air pollutants are substances which, if present in the atmosphere at high enough concentrations, can have a measurable effect on humans, animals, vegetation and the built environment. In most European cities, air quality has improved substantially over the past decades.
The visible and noticeable air pollution (smoke, dust, smog) has all but disappeared from many cities due to local, national and European initiatives. However, the measured concentrations of selected pollutants in some cities still exceed the air quality limit values and additional measures are required in order to meet them. Read other documents related to Air Quality here:
- An Introduction to Air Quality
- An Introduction to Urban Air Quality
- An Introduction to Passenger Car Emissions and Test Cycles
- Real driving emissions of Euro6 diesel passenger cars and their impact on urban air quality