Hemispheric transport

1
Hemispheric transport Why is EMEP interested?

• Peringe Grennfelt, Jurgen Schneider

2
Contents

• The role of EMEP within the CLRTAP
• Links to hemispheric scale
• Conclusions

3
The CLRTAP

• Protocols under the Convention
• 1983 EMEP Protocol (financing instrument)
• 1985 and 1994 Sulphur Protocols
• 1988 NOx Protocol
• 1991 VOC Protocol
• 1998 HM Protocol (Pb, Cd and Hg)
• 1998 POP Protocol
• 1999 MPME Protocol (SO2, NOx, NH3 and NMVOC)

4
ROLE OF EMEP

• Role of EMEP is to provide Parties to the
  Convention with information on
• emissions,
• deposition and
• concentrations of air pollutants, with
• quantified source attribution of the
  concentrations, depositions and
• transboundary fluxes related to acidification,
  eutrophication, photo-oxidants, particulate
  matter, heavy metals and persistent organic
  pollutants.

5
Effect based approach

• This knowledge is in particular needed to support
  the development of Protocols of the second
  generation
• Science based approach (use quantitative
  scientific knowledge to reduce emissions in a
  cost effective way)
• Not a universal percentage reduction or uniform
  absolute environmental target (e.g., AQ
  standard), but rather emission reduction
  requirements that reduce environmental and health
  impact costs effectively
• High demands on data and process understanding!

6
Institutional settings

• 4 Centres MSC-E, MSC-W, CIAM and CCC
• Strong involvement of national experts from
  parties and the scientific community is vital
  this collaboration is usually facilitated by the
  Task Forces
• Emissions TF EIP, produces EMEP/CORINAIR
  guidebook, promotes inventory improvement (by
  reviews,..)
• AQ data TFMM, CCC New Monitoring strategy,
  strong involvement of parties, EMEP manual,
• Atmospheric modelling TFMM, MSC-W and MSC-E
• Integreted assessment models TFIAM, CIAM
• Hemispheric transport TFHTAP, supported by all
  Centres

7
Significance of a Hemspheric Transport initiative
Improve the understanding of chemical and
physical processes in order to support the
development of cost-effective abatement
strategies. -gt There is a need to assess sources
and receptors of air pollution at different
scales, including the understanding of the
significance of intercontinental transport
processes.
8
Pollutants subject to hemispcheric transport

• The three most recent Protocols tackle problems
  which at least have a hemispheric component
• POPs Protocol
• Heavy metals Protocol Hg
• Gothenburg Protocol Ozone

9
POPs
Intercontinental transport of HCB
Origin of HCB depositions Source EMEP, MSC-E
10
Mercury
Mercury, 2002
Deposition to Europe - 100 t/y
from European sources - 50
t/y from global, natural, and re-emission
sources - 50 t/y
Transport outside Europe 120 t/y (65 of total
emission) Source EMEP, MSC-E
Spatial distribution of Hg depositions in Europe
11
Ozone
Recent assessments have clearly indicated the
increasing importance of hemispheric background
of ozone
From Derwent et al
12
Ozone
This is in particular relevant for the assessment
of environmental and health effects (a recent
review by the World Health Organization confirmed
that ozone is a pollutant where thresholds for
effects cannot be identified at this
stage) During the review of the EMEP unified
Eulerian model, it was recommended that further
consideration should be given to the continued
increase in background ozone concentrations
(EB.AIR/GE.1/2004/6)
13
Ozone
The Gothenburg Protocol from 1999 (which entered
into force on May 17) itself requests in Article
8 on Research, Development and Monitoring that
Parties shall encourage research, development
and monitoring and cooperation related to (d)
The improvement of scientific understanding of
the long term fate of emissions and their impact
on the hemispheric background concentrations of
S, N, VOC, O3, PM, focusing, in particular, on
the chemistry of the free troposphere and the
potential for intercontinental transport flow of
pollutants ..
14
Conlusions

• Some of the pollutants tackled within the
  Convention have a hemispheric component
• EMEP is requested to investigate the significance
  of this transport (in a scientific/technical
  sense)
• Therefore, the work of this TF is of crucial
  relevance for EMEP
• According to the well established working mode of
  EMEP, this investigation is to be done in an
  open, transparent way in close collaboration with
  the scientific community