Jul 30 () –
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) predicts an increase in surface ozone concentrations over much of Europe in a context of increasingly intense heat waves.
Exceeding ozone concentrations above the limit values established by European ambient air quality standards poses significant risks to health and the environment.
CAMS scientists pay particular attention to surface ozone pollution during the summer months, when higher temperatures and anticyclonic weather patterns provide favorable conditions for ozone pollution to build up.
Since early summer, CAMS has monitored several periods conducive to an increase in surface ozone concentrations.
With the recent rise in temperatures and heat waves, a new episode of high surface ozone concentrations and exceedance of the limit values set by European air quality legislation has been forecast in several areas of Western and Southern Europe. between July 29 and August 4.
SURFACE OZONE MAXIMA IN SEVERAL AREAS
In particular, surface ozone concentrations are expected to be Maximum values in the Paris region, Benelux and Germanyhighlighting the important role played by precursor emissions (nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds), which are often emitted far from the sites of pollution events. The Po Valley in northern Italy is also expected to be affected. experience very high ground ozone concentrations during those days.
Tropospheric ozone is an air pollutant that contributes to poor air quality. One of the health effects of ozone is lung inflammation, which, in addition to heat stress during the summer, can create critical conditions, especially for people with existing health problems.
According to the European Ambient Air Quality Directive, the maximum eight-hour daily average of ozone levels must be less than 120 g/m3, with an allowed exceedance of 25 days per year (18 days in the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive adopted by the European Parliament in April 2024).
In addition to the adverse effects on human health, Surface ozone concentrations also have harmful effects on vegetation and ecosystems and can severely affect crop yields and be responsible for biodiversity loss.
Episodes of high ground-level ozone concentrations are influenced by precursor emissions and high temperatures and solar radiation, and could therefore become more frequent with increasing numbers of heat waves and rising temperatures (this is the “climate penalty effect”). Another characteristic of ozone is its long life in the atmosphere, so ozone levels in some areas are also influenced by long-range transport of air pollution.
The CAMS 2023 Interim Annual European Air Quality Assessment Report describes the clear correlation between extremely warm temperatures and high surface ozone levels, and the need to mitigate emission sources at both local and global scales. The report also offers some insights into understanding the seasonality of these episodes.
Laurence Rouil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), commented it’s a statement“Accurate predictions and understanding of long-range ozone transport are critical. As temperatures rise due to climate change, our ability to predict and respond to these events becomes increasingly crucial to providing timely warnings, allowing authorities to respond quickly with appropriate measures to mitigate health risks and environmental impacts.”
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