Air Quality Expertise Centre
The Air Quality Section is one of the expertise sections of the DCMR Rijnmond Environmental Agency. The expertise of the Air Quality Section is used among other things for assessing discharges (emissions) to ambient air from industry, traffic (road and water transport), urban emissions (small and medium-sized enterprises, households, etc.) as well as emissions which occur in the Rijnmond region from agriculture, the livestock industry and emissions of a natural sort.
Areas of expertise
In addition, a lot of attention is devoted to acquiring and maintaining expertise in the field of applications of emissions limiting techniques, clean processes, and techniques for effect-mitigation measures. An important aspect of this is to be able to calculate process emissions. A second area of expertise offered by the Air Quality Section is determining the ambient air quality by means of models and using instruments to monitor this. The Section has models for calculating the air quality. Mathematical models are also used to make integral estimates of the air quality in the region. In order to further expand these facilities, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are being developed; air quality is tested against limit values and against potential nuisance risks. The latter can be applied in particular in the case of odour and particulate nuisance. The Air Quality Section operates an extensive monitoring network for measuring air quality.
Air quality
Air quality has become a crucial factor in the development of the region. In a number of recent statements the Council of State has anticipated the increasingly stringent air quality requirements of the Air Quality Decree. The time horizon when exceedences of the standards will no longer be permitted is 2010. The Council of State requires that the authorities take account of the more stringent standards in their planning. In view of the current air quality, where limit values for PM10 and NO2 are exceeded in a lot of places, it will require major efforts from central government, the Province and regional municipalities to comply with these standards.
Additional measures
The current air quality forms a potentially serious obstacle to regional development in the field of house-building and road construction. The Rijnmond region is a densely-populated area which has higher traffic intensity than other parts of the Netherlands and a number of major industries. This results in higher emissions of pollutants. From the Environmental Balance 2005 it appears that due to the specific situation in the Netherlands, the European emission standards are not sufficient for the European air quality objectives to be met in the Rijnmond region. Additional measures on top of the European emissions policy are needed to achieve this.
Role of DCMR
The expertise of the Air Quality Section is regularly called on to investigate and map the possible effects on air quality and the feasibility of proposed plans and measures. Effective coordination between the policy fields of environment (air quality), spatial planning and health is essential in order to enable necessary developments. The role of DCMR, and in particular of the Air Quality Section, as adviser, coordinator and assessor of plans relating to air quality in the Rijnmond region has become increasingly large and important. The expertise available, experience of the staff and the service-oriented approach in the Air Quality Section are all bearing fruit.
More information: J.H.H. (Sef) van den Elshout, +31 10 2468 368
