NAME: Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

DESCRIPTION:

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) forms when fossil fuels such as coal, gas, diesel etc. are burned. It is involved in the creation of ground–level ozone. Together with ozone nitrogen dioxide cause smog on sunny and warm days. Nitrogen dioxide stays in the air for a long time. In high concentration, it is responsible for acid rain that damages soil, plants and buildings.

HEALTH IMPACTS:

It increases the risk of lung problems, and when exposed over a longer period of time it impacts the liver, heart, spleen and blood.

Icon Lung Icon Heart Icon Blood Icon Liver Icon Spleen

Berlin’s NO2 can’t just match up

NO2 – present EU law VS. recommended healthy level by WHO

The blue area shows levels exceeding the present politically negotiated limits for NO2 set by EU law and the green one shows the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the least harmful set levels of NO2 for human beings.

In the case of NO2 the EU has followed WHO’s recommended annual level set to a maximum of 40 microgram pro kubikmeter (µg/m3).

NO2 – from 2005 until 2018

As it can be observed in the graph the level of NO2 on main streets in Berlin doesn’t reach the recommended levels of WHO which make up the green area of the graph.

In the case of NO2 on main streets, this means that they are also not below the allowed EU level.

Insight

The immission of pollutants originating primarily from industry and power plants and to a lesser extent, immission of traffic related air pollution has decreased over the years.
By the mid 1990's, a significant reduction in the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration was achieved by equipping Berlin power plants with denitrification systems and by introducing the regulated catalytic converter for petrol vehicles.

The increase in 2005 and 2006 can be linked to the weather (with increased amount of days with high air pressure and weak winds). Additionaly, the observed direct increase in emissions from new and higher numbers of diesel vehicles on the streets are a second explanation. Since then, the annual mean values for nitrogen dioxide remain at a consistently high level up until 2014. In the last years a decrease in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration has primarily been recorded at measuring stations on main streets (this decrease can be linked to the Clean Air Plan 2011 – 2017).