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Title:
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Towards development of a deposition monitoring network for air pollution in Europe: low-cost monitoring methods: LIFE96ENV/NL/215: final technical report
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Author(s):
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Published by:
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Publication date:
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ECN
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1-9-1999
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ECN report number:
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Document type:
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ECN-C--99-075
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ECN publication
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Number of pages:
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Full text:
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69
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Download PDF
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Abstract:
Deposition of air pollutants is an important loss process for pollutantsfrom the atmosphere and can cause severe damage to ecosystems. In order to
develop effective emission reduction options and in order to monitor the
progress in terms of reduced deposition levels a combination of modelling and
measurement activities has been developed. In this procedure the measurements
serve as independent checks on the modelled concentration and deposition
fields. Wet deposition is routinely monitored in existing networks, this is
not the case for dry deposition of gases and particulate matter which is much
more difficult to measure. On average, in Europe, dry deposition accounts for
about 20 % of the total deposition with a range of 10-90%. A Life project was
performed from 1993 to 1996 that showed that dry deposition monitoring is
feasible. In that project deposition measurements were performed on three
'core sites' and data were obtained for a forest, a peatland and a grassland
location. It is however clear that the ecosystem type is very much
influencing the dry deposition process. So in order to assess the effect of
dry deposition on ecosystems throughout Europe more measurement locations are
needed. This requires the development of low cost monitoring systems with
sufficient accuracy. The aims of the LIFE project reported here, which is the
follow up of the project described above were: to design and test a
monitoring system that can be applied on many locations for a reasonable
price; to obtain more data on dry deposition at the three core sites; to use
this data for improvement and further evaluation of the deposition models;
and to suggest a strategy for dry deposition measurement throughout Europe.
The results of this project are discussed in this report. The project ended
in August 1999. In December 1999 the 'Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long
Range Transboundary Air Pollution to abate Acidification, Eutrophication and
Ground level Ozone' will be signed by the ministers in Copenhagen. This will
be the start of the implementation of reduction options. In order to evaluate
the progress made a monitoring programme will be developed. The data reported
in this Life project is the only example of continuous dry deposition
monitoring in Europe at the moment. The project results can thus be used to
facilitate the discussion on the setup of this monitoring system in Europe.
The project contributes to this setup with different products. refs.
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