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Description
The project focuses on measuring of air quality on a route within the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) – Eastern and East Mediterranean Corridor (section connecting the state border CZ/DE – Prague) and preparing 3 action plans to reduce the impact of air pollution.
The surroundings of the corridor are polluted by pollutants from road, rail and water transport. After an analysis of the affected area, three main urbanized localities were selected on this route: Praha-Zdiby, Mělník and Ústí nad Labem. Each municipality has a different composition of emission sources. It is therefore desirable to determine the share of traffic in air pollution in these localities. All these municipalities struggle with increasing road transport (e.g. plans to build new logistic centres), do not have sufficient measured data to adopt binding measures for their cadastre to regulate the construction activities and plan, with main focus on air quality and improvement of the environment.
The implementation will be based on the results of PZKO 2020+ Northwest Zone CZ04, Central Bohemia Zone CZ02 and Prague Agglomeration CZ01.
The project partners will carry out automated air quality measurement, collect samples using sampling devices (PP1 ENVItech), they will subsequently analyse the data in a lab to identify the sources of air pollution (LP VŠB TU Ostrava), model the data (PP3 Norsk Energi) and prepare action plans (PP12 GetBizDone). The partners will jointly implement the CP and inform about the project publicity according to the project methodology. They will cooperate with all involved municipalities and their citizens. The partners will arrange a trip for participants and representatives of municipalities to Norway in order to share inspiration and experiences of good practice.
Summary of project results
The project focused on developing a tool for air protection, as air quality in our region is among the worst in Europe. Our citizens have repeatedly expressed concerns about polluted air and its impact on health. The substances monitored in the project frequently exceed the concentration limits set by the Air Protection Act, and further tightening of these limits is expected. Measurements conducted during regular monitoring lack spatial resolution and cannot always identify the sources of pollution. The project employed methods that pinpoint specific sources, enabling better regulation. The action plan includes a list of measures that provide the greatest benefits to the monitored municipality. These measures are concrete and easy to understand, taking into account economic feasibility and the municipality''s capabilities. The purpose of the action plan is to allocate future funds to meaningful initiatives, such as green space maintenance, transportation measures, fuel and domestic boiler replacements and the use of sustainable energy. This aligns with the ongoing transition to cleaner energy and efforts to reduce the carbon footprint. Since the action plans were discussed with the authorities of the respective municipalities, accessing future grants will be easier. Currently, several projects have already secured grants for green initiatives, thanks to the action plans.
For the project, it was necessary to thoroughly study information about the area, its sources and to discuss everything with representatives of the involved institutions (Mělník, Zdiby, Ústí nad Labem). Three municipalities participated in the project, with approximately five locations selected in each. In total, 14 locations were monitored. Air quality monitoring focused on PMx, NO/NO2 and organic compounds. At the same time, meteorological conditions such as temperature, pressure, wind and humidity were also monitored. The measurements were conducted continuously using reference techniques, in accordance with the applicable EU directive, and following the same methodology as the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) employs in its monitoring network. Each location was revisited, and measurements were repeated under various seasonal conditions. The entire measurement process lasted almost a year and a half. During the same period, other colleagues visited municipal office workers to inquire about their primary concerns regarding air pollution in their municipalities. The next phase involved evaluating the results using the source identification method under the guidance of Professor Raclavská at VSB-TUO. This method involves collecting dust samples and analyzing them in a laboratory to identify over 400 organic compounds. The composition of the dust helps attribute pollution to its respective sources.
Evaluating the measurements was a highly specialized part of the project. The results revealed that transportation is a significant source of air pollution, issues persist with burning solid fuels, and there is a notable transition towards biomass combustion. The project identified areas with traffic congestion, low-quality fuel usage in local heating systems, and problems related to industrial sources. Although the average PMx and NO/NO2 results appear optimistic, they are still not sufficient. The most critical issue was with benzo(a)pyrene, which exceeded the annual limit concentration (for 24 hours) by up to five times. This serious situation is primarily linked to local heating. Understanding the causes of air pollution will allow for well-targeted investments in air protection to achieve the best possible results.
The main outputs of the project are three Action Plans for the municipalities of Ústí nad Labem, Zdiby and Mělník. The report includes numerical data, source identification and a list of possible measures. Air quality monitoring has shown good overall conditions in the municipalities; however, they are unsustainable in the long term. The average PM10 concentration in Mělník is favorable, reaching 50% of the annual limit value. Exceeding the daily limit of 50 µg.m⁻³ occurred in only 2.9% of the measured concentrations, with conditions worsening during the heating season. Apart from the station in Kladno (Švermov), a similar situation was observed at ČHMÚ stations. In Ústí nad Labem, the daily limit was exceeded in only 1.3% of measurements. NO2 concentrations were exceeded several times across all monitored sites, with the highest and most frequent values recorded at the Zdiby/Klecany site, primarily during the summer. Concentrations were closely linked to transportation, with the NO/NO2 ratio exceeding 2.0 on selected days, mainly during peak traffic hours.
In conclusion, the entire monitored area is significantly influenced by transportation. However, it is important to note that the measured concentrations do not pose an increased health risk to residents. The average benzo(a)pyrene concentration in Ústí nad Labem and Zdiby is approximately 0.5 ng/m³, which is favorable, while in Mělník, the average is 1.5 ng/m³, with a maximum of 4.7 ng/m³. This is likely related to local heating sources but does not indicate a significant issue.
When comparing the individual cities, it is evident that traffic-related chemical compounds predominate in all cases. The highest average concentration of organic compounds was measured in Ústí nad Labem, which is approximately five times higher than in Zdiby and about ten times higher than in Mělník.
Air quality still remains a crucial issue for our citizens, which is why public administration focuses on its protection. The TENT project was aimed at preparing real measures supported by monitoring. This approach is highly desirable because measurement without impact on everyday life is toothless. Municipalities generally know they need to address dust pollutioni, but they don''t know much about the significance of benzo(a)pyrene, and despite their knowledge of their territory, they have trouble identifying the major culprits. Simply put, there has been already enough of mere measurement without action. The Action Plan provides specific information on how to use municipal funds and serves as expert argumentation for obtaining grants. The range of measures is wide - from greenery care and road cleaning to transportation infrastructure or energy. The Action Plans serve as a repository for many years and are apolitical, meaning they are needed by every municipal leadership. Interventions in energy and transportation are planned for decades due to their complexity. Conversely, implementing regular above-limit road cleaning or planting and maintaining greenery can be addressed immediately. Some measures require communication between the municipality and the source, which also takes time. Therefore, the Action Plans have prepared air protection work for more than 10 years, and given the deadlines set by the EU in the Green Deal policy, the year 2030 is very close, bringing about significant changes in air protection legislation. If municipalities are not prepared, achieving changes that have a positive impact on health will be very difficult. Conversely, it is unfortunate that the entire public administration is not systematically addressed, as problems can arise even in areas that currently appear to be doing well. The prepared action plans and implemented methodology can be applied even outside the municipalities supported by the TENT project.
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian partner participated in the online project team meetings, attended the opening and closing conferences and participated in the presentation of the project results and outputs during his visit to the Czech Republic. There has been a sharing of experience in the development of pollution models. A very interesting contribution was the application of Norwegian type pollution modelling to areas in the Czech Republic. Results and good practice from both countries were shared, especially in preparing the Czech Republic for lower air pollution limits. We would like to develop our cooperation in further international projects. A debate on this topic arose between different segments of experts at the final conference and during the Norwegian visit to Prague, and plans are now being continued.