Graphic Yearbook 2013
I. INTRODUCTION
At present ambient air pollution is one of the most serious
problems in the field of environmental protection. Polluted air
has evidently negative effects on human health; the pollutants
can cause a wide range of health problems from less serious to
serious diseases and premature deaths. The pollutants have
negative effects also on vegetation; they can influence its
growth and cause the decrease of yields of agricultural crops
and forests. They also cause eutrophication and acidification of
soil and water ecosystems1, followed by the change in species
composition and the reduction of plant and animal species. Many
pollutants have the ability to accumulate in the environment, to
negatively influence the ecosystems and to enter the food chain.
Further, some of them have direct or indirect influence on the
climatic system of the Earth. It is also necessary to mention
the damages caused by ambient air pollutants to materials and
buildings, often the historical ones.
Thanks to the measures implemented in the recent decades mainly
in large sources, the pollutants’ emissions have been reduced.
In spite of that a number of economic and social activities
still produce such amount of emissions which in combination with
meteorological and dispersion conditions result in exceedances
of the limit values of some pollutants. At present the biggest
problem among the monitored pollutants is represented by
suspended particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons bound
to them. In summer periods the limit values of ground-level
ozone are exceeded in many localities.
Generally, local household heating using solid fuels is the
significant source of suspended particles and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (in total in EU countries as well as in
the Czech Republic). In the areas with traffic loads there may
occur increased concentrations of nitrogen dioxide. Transport is
also the important source of suspended particles and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons. There still remain the significant
sources of pollutants, and namely public and industrial
energetics, agriculture and in case of NMVOC the use of solvents.
However, the particular share of individual sources in the level
of air pollution differs from area to area, according to the
composition of sources in the given area but it also depends on
the transfer of pollutants from other areas.
I.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLICATION
The yearbook “Air Pollution in the Czech Republic in 2013” is
presented in a new structure and with partly changed content.
The purpose of this change is to bring more explicit
interpretation of the measured data and to give more space for
the most important message of this publication, i.e. for the
information on the state of ambient air quality in the CR and
its development. The introductory part of the publication
describes the political and legislative framework of the
protection of ambient air quality in the CR, the characteristics
of major pollutants with regard to their possible effects on
human health and the environment, and the key phenomena
influencing the levels of ambient air pollutants, i.e. the
sources of air pollution and meteorological and dispersion
conditions in the given year. The main part of the publication
is devoted to ambient air quality and the occurrence of smog
situations in the CR. The chapters dealing with no less
important topics, such as atmospheric deposition and greenhouse
gas emissions are included in the final part of the publication.
Information on the database, the used methods and uncertainty in
mapping are presented in the last two chapters.
The graphic yearbook “Air Pollution in the Czech Republic in
2013”, together with the annual “Summary Tabular Survey”
published in electronic version, constitute the complete
overview of data and information on ambient air quality in the
territory of the Czech Republic in the respective year. The
ambient air quality evaluation is based on the measured data,
collected in the Air Quality Information System (ISKO) of the
Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI), using other data
sources and mathematical tools. The “Summary Tabular Survey”
presents the verified measured air pollution data and data on
chemical composition of atmospheric precipitation in individual
localities, the graphic yearbook presents commented
comprehensive information in the form of maps, graphs and tables.
Ambient air quality is evaluated strictly pursuant to the valid
national legislation (Act No. 201/2012 Coll., on air protection,
as amended, and the Decree No. 330/2012 Coll. on the method of
assessment and evaluation of ambient air pollution level, on the
extent of informing the public on the level of ambient air
pollution and during smog situations) and pursuant to the
requirements of the European Union. The evaluation is carried
out with regard to the protection of human health and with
regard to the protection of ecosystems and vegetation. The
result maps are the necessary prerequisite for the indication of
the areas
exceeding the limit values with regard to the protection of
human health for which programmes aimed at the improvement of
ambient air quality or regulatory codes are required by the
legislation.
The yearbooks on ambient air quality are primarily intended for
the bodies and organizations concerned with environmental issues
and ambient air protection in the CR. They are periodically
provided to the bodies of state administration, to all
contributors to the ISKO database and further selected entities.
The yearbooks are publicly available on the CHMI website,
www.chmi.cz.
I.2 POLITICAL AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK OF AMBIENT AIR QUALITY PROTECTION
The extent of air pollution is objectively ascertained by
monitoring the concentrations of ambient air pollutants (air
pollution monitoring) in the ground layer of the atmosphere
within the network of measuring stations (Fig. I.1; more details
see Chapter XI.). For the pollutants monitored and evaluated
with regard to provable harmful effects on human health or on
vegetation and ecosystems their limit values have been set.
Within air quality evaluation there are compared mainly the
recorded levels of concentrations with the respective limit
values (Tabs. I.1 and
I.2) or with the permissible frequencies
of exceeding them, i.e. the levels of concentrations which
should not be exceeded pursuant to the valid legislation.
The basic strategic document in the EU in the field of ambient
air quality assessment and management is the Thematic Strategy
on Air Pollution (hereinafter the Strategy). The objective of
the Strategy, in accordance with the 6th Environment Action
Programme (EAP), is to achieve „the level of ambient air quality
which does not give rise to the risks for human health and the
environment and does not have markedly negative impacts on them.”
Based on the 2005 Strategy the European Commission carried out
the review of the current EU policy in the field of ambient air
protection. This resulted in the adoption of the package of
measures (Clean Air Policy Package) in December 2013. The
package contains for instance the programme document ”Clean Air
for Europe” with new objectives concerning ambient air quality
for the period up to 2030, the draft of the revision of the
directive on national emissions ceilings with stricter national
emissions ceilings for six major pollutants, or the draft of the
new directive on the reduction of pollution caused by medium-sized
combustion sources (EC 2013a).
Within the EU framework the main tools for the protection and
improvement of ambient air quality include: Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and
cleaner air for Europe, Directive 2004/107/EC relating to
arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons in ambient air, and Directive 2001/81/EC on
national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants.
The national legislation on air quality evaluation in the Czech
Republic is harmonized with the European legislation. The Act
No. 201/2012 Coll., on air protection, as amended (hereinafter
the Air Protection Act) defines among others the zones and
agglomerations for ambient air quality evaluation. The details
are specified in the Decree No. 330/2012 Coll., on the method of
assessment and evaluation of ambient air pollution level, on the
extent of informing the public on the level of ambient air
pollution and during smog situations.
Zones and agglomeration are primarily understood as basic units
for air quality management. The Air Protection Act defines three
agglomerations – agglomeration of Prague, agglomeration of Brno
and Ostrava/Karviná/Frýdek-Místek agglomeration – and seven
zones (Fig. I.2).
The yearbook presents air quality evaluation in the year 2013
pursuant to the requirements of the Czech legislation on air
quality protection. In accordance
with the Air Protection Act the evaluation is aimed at defining
the areas with exceedances of the limit values for the
protection of health and the protection of ecosystems and
vegetation. If the limit value is exceeded in a zone or
agglomeration or if the limit value is exceeded in the zone or
agglomeration more times than the set maximum number of
exceedances, the Ministry of the Environment is obliged to
develop, in cooperation with the respective regional or local
authority, the programme aimed at the improvement of air quality
for the given zone or agglomeration within 18 months following
the end of the calendar year in which the limit value was
exceeded. During the programme development the Ministry adopts
the respective measures in order the limit value is met as soon
as possible.
The limit values are based on the recommended (guideline) values
set by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the basis of a
number of epidemiological studies (Table I.3). In order to
protect public health the WHO recommends maintaining the
pollutants’ levels even on the lower value than that for which
the negative effects on human health were documented.
Nevertheless, these values result from the conclusions regarding
the health effects of ambient air pollution and do not take into
account the issues of technical and economic feasibility and
further political and social factors. Therefore, the levels of
the limit values set by the legislation may be higher, but the
process heading towards the meeting of the WHO guideline values
must be generally supported (WHO 2013).
I.3 AMBIENT AIR POLLUTANTS AND THEIR EFFECTS
Ambient air pollution is one of the factors that participate in
affecting the human health. This may be manifested by occurrence
or worsening of subjective symptoms or objective health
disorders potentially contributed to some extent by exposure to
substances from ambient air through the respiratory tract (SZÚ
2014).
Health effects may include slight temporary changes in the
respiratory tract and the impaired pulmonary function, reduced
performance, the need to find first aid, hospitalization or even
death. There is growing evidence of adverse effects of air
pollution not only on the respiratory system but also on
cardiovascular system. Some pollutants have carcinogenic effect
influencing the function of endocrine glands, the development
and growth of foetus (SZÚ 2013a).
As mentioned above, ambient air pollutants have negative effects
also on vegetation and ecosystems, many pollutants have the
ability to accumulate in the environment or cause damages to
materials and buildings.
Tab. I.3 WHO Air Quality Guidelines for the protection of public health (WHO 2000, WHO 2014)
Tab. I.4 WHO Air Quality Guidelines for the protection of vegetation (WHO 2000)
Fig. I.1 Major station networks of ambient air quality monitoring, 2013
Fig. I.2 The zones and agglomerations for ambient air quality
assessment and evaluation of ambient air pollution level
according
to the Act No. 201/2012 Coll. on Clean Air Protection, as
amended
1 Eutrophication is the process of enrichment by nitrogen and phosphorus, acidiphication is the decrease in pH/reduction in alkalinity.
