Shipping is projected to become the main source of transport-related air pollution in coastal cities by 2030, according to the EEA briefing “Air quality around ports and airports.” The briefing concludes that air pollutant emissions from shipping and aviation are rising, posing an increasing risk to human health, especially for those living near ports and airports.
The briefing explores and assesses air quality monitoring networks and air quality levels in and around major ports and airports across 18 European countries, focusing on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollutants and calls for improved monitoring of air pollution in and around these potential air quality hotspots.
It was found that nitrogen dioxide levels at ports and airports were consistently higher than in surrounding regions and in some cases (Piraeus and Napoli ports and Milan Linate airport) were above the new 2030 EU annual limit value in the EU revised air quality directive. For half of the ports, NO2 levels were more than double those in surrounding regions.
Particulate matter is a more complex pollutant, and less directly attributable to port or airport emissions alone as some surrounding regions also showed high levels, with a significant number of ports and airports above the 2030 EU annual limit value.
Link: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/air-quality-around-airports-and-ports
