Supporting PM10 and PM2.5 Air Quality Policies for Belgium and Europe in 2010 and Beyond by Means of Scenario Calculations
Within the framework of the CAFE (Clean Air For Europe) initiative, the air quality standards for 2010 and beyond are discussed, with the aim to reduce exposure of people to high concentrations of inhalable particles in the air. In order to support air quality policy on PM10 and PM2.5 in Belgium, the integrated air quality modelling system EUROS has been extended to model fine particulate matter (PM). Currently, modelling of mass and chemical composition of aerosols in two size fractions (PM2.5 and PM10-2.5) is possible. The chemical composition is expressed in terms of 7 components: ammonium, nitrate, sulphate, elementary carbon, primary inorganic compounds, primary organic compounds and secondary organic compounds (SOA). A validation of the model for PM10 was performed for various episodes in 2002 and 2003. At the moment EUROS is operational as a tool for policy support at the Interregional Cell for the Environment (IRCEL) in Brussels.
The extended version of the EUROS model was applied for 2002 (reference), 2010 and 2015 in order to assess current and future changes in aerosol concentrations and compositions over Belgium and Europe.
It was computed that the contributions from anthropogenic sources in Belgium are responsible for 15% of the annual averaged PM10 concentrations in Belgium in 2010. For PM2.5 this contribution is 12%. These numbers demonstrate the severe limitations with respect to impact of national policy measures for relatively small countries such as Belgium. It emphasizes the need for better compliance with international agreements on transboundary air pollution.