THE BLACK TRIANGLE AREA - FIT FOR EUROPE? Numerical Air Quality Studies for the Black Triangle Area

摘要

The "Black Triangle" area (covering Northern Bohemia, Southern Saxony and part of Lower Silesia) has been one of the most polluted areas in Central Europe. The main sources of air pollution in the Black Triangle region were the emissions of sulfur and dust by power plants, industrial facilities, residential houses heating units, which were using lignite as fuel, and road traffic. After the political changes at the end of the eighties the region was financially supported by the European Commission to reduce the amount of air pollution. Owing to a substantial effort of the governments of Czech Republic, Germany and Poland as well as of industry a significant improvement of air quality has been achieved up to day. This has resulted mainly in a dramatic reduction of sulfur and dust emissions in this region. Unfortunately, this declining trend can not be seen concerning the nitrogen emissions. The nitrogen emissions are increasing mainly as a result of increasing traffic. Nitrogen oxide (NO_x) plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry. It produces tropospheric ozone by photochemical reactions in the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOC). As a consequence, most likely we will not have a ,,sulfur problem" in the future, but we will have to demand our attention to the photooxidants, especially ozone. These changes in air pollution have been investigated. With special focus on the situation in Saxony, the species sulfur dioxide, ozone, and aerosol particles have been studied. The model results have been evaluated for the general pollutant situation for past (1996; The winter 95/96 was the last ,,London smog" episode in this region.), present (1998) and future (2005) emission scenarios. Relevant limit values for protection of human health defined or suggested in directives by the European Commission were checked in worst case scenarios for the year 2005. A summary of the results of the modelling work within the research program OMKAS (Optimization of Emission Reduction and Control of Air Pollution for the Border-Region of Saxony), funded by the Ministry of Environment of Saxony and the European Commission, is given.