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Description
Programme outcome the project contributes to: “Ability of local communities to reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate"
The project will contribute to increased knowledge about pollutants that can have a negative impact on climate change and ecosystems. The project will specifically contribute to the establishment of a revised and modernized measurement and assessment system in Poland of atmospheric depositions and emissions. The revised system will provide better data, which will in turn help Polish authorities'' abilities to track trends and, consequently, to assess the efficiency of measures to reduce emission of pollutants into the air. Moreover, the data can be used to address the issue of compounds contributing to eutrophication. This will assist efforts and measures to protect waters against pollutants from agricultural sources. Additionally, the data will be used in an international context by the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission - Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) for the reduction of nutrients discharged into the Baltic Sea.
The pre-defined project will include, inter alia, the following activities:
- Revision and optimisation of air pollution deposition measurements in Poland, such as: methodology, costs, number and location of measurement points, and measurement range.
- Procurement of deposition measurement instruments.
- Development of a guidance document on measurement methodology.
- Development of a guidance document on assessments of atmospheric deposition including a proposal on suitable deposition modeling techniques.
- Visualisation and sharing of data on atmospheric deposition data via the website “Air Quality”, run by GIOŚ
The role of NILU is to contribute to experience-sharing and training-related activities.
Summary of project results
The project was aimed at creating a new system for monitoring precipitation chemistry in Poland, together with making the data available on the portal of the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection and increasing knowledge of methods for assessing atmospheric deposition based on the Norwegian experience.
This system was to provide the most complete possible information on pollution deposition in Poland, made available through user-friendly tools.
As part of the project, the following activities were carried out:
1) a concept was developed to modernize and optimize deposition measurements in Poland,
2) a concept for launching a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) system for deposition measurements was developed,
3) guidelines for performing atmospheric deposition assessments were developed,
4) visualization and sharing of atmospheric deposition data through the website of the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection “Air Quality” was developed.
5) deposition measurement equipment was purchased.
As part of the project, the following products were prepared:
1) Under the activity entitled “Development of the concept of modernization and optimization of deposition measurements in Poland” - 3 reports:
“Analysis of Polish and foreign documents and studies, monitoring systems and data of the State Environmental Monitoring in order to design a new system of research and assessment of atmospheric deposition”
“Determination of optimum ranges of substances and parameters to be studied within the framework of atmospheric precipitation chemistry (wet precipitation)”,
“Determination of the optimum number of measurement points for for precipitation chemistry monitoring on the national scale and selection of their detailed locations with justification. Estimation of the annual operating costs of the precipitation chemistry measurement system in in Poland”;
2) Under the activity entitled “Development of a concept for launching a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) system for deposition measurements” - final procedures for quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) for deposition measurements, mainly including methodologies for collecting and handling samples in the field and receiving samples in the laboratory, methodologies for making measurements and validation methodologies;
3) Under the activity entitled “Development of guidelines for performing atmospheric deposition assessments, including the proposal of an appropriate method for deposition modeling” - guidelines for performing atmospheric deposition assessment, including a proposal for an appropriate deposition modeling technique.
4) Within the framework of the activity entitled “Visualization and sharing of atmospheric deposition data through the ‘Air Quality’ website of the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection,” a new website for the presentation of atmospheric deposition data was created, operating within the “Air Quality” portal.
5) As part of the activity titled “Purchase of Deposition Measurement Equipment”, 19 atmospheric deposition measurement devices were purchased and installed, which operate in the new deposition measurement network in Poland as of 2024.
The main effect of the project is the creation of a new system of measurements and deposition assessments by the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection, providing information on the deposition of pollutants in Poland through the portal “Air Quality”, increasing the knowledge and experience of the employees of the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection on the methods of measurements and assessments of atmospheric deposition based on Norwegian experience through training, conferences, study visit and working meetings with the Norwegian partner NILU.
Summary of bilateral results
Cooperation with The Norwegian Climate and Environmental Research Institute NILU, the project partner, had a significant impact on the project. NILU experts are the most experienced in atmospheric deposition research in Europe. Having such an experienced partner enabled an effective exploration of knowledge in the field of atmospheric deposition measurements and assessments. The information gained during the discussions and the study visit were the basis for taking further actions and making major decisions under the project. NILU experts supported the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in analysing documents concerning: the concept of modernisation and optimisation of deposition measurements in Poland (measurement scope, methodology, number and location of measurement sites), the concept of launching the QA/QC system for deposition measurements, guidelines for performing atmospheric deposition assessments.The main effect of the project is the creation of a new system of measurements and deposition assessments by the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection, providing information on the deposition of pollutants in Poland through the “Air Quality portal”, increasing the knowledge and experience of the employees of the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection on the methods of measurements and assessments of atmospheric deposition based on Norwegian experience through training, conferences, study visit and working meetings with the Norwegian partner NILU. The Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection plans to continue possible bilateral cooperation with the Norwegian partner on new elements of air quality monitoring specified in the new Directive (EU) 2024/2881 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (AAQD Directive).