Reduction of landfilling
of biodegradable municipal waste to 35 %
of 1995 levels by 2016
Development of
waste prevention programmes by 2013
Volcanic ash is having
little impact on Europe's air quality
Published: 23 Apr 2010
The European Environment Agency (EEA) is
closely following the impacts of recent
volcanic eruptions in Iceland, in particular
assessing changes in ground-level air pollution.
According to preliminary monitoring data,
ground-level air quality across Europe has
not deteriorated significantly as a result
of the volcanic activity.
Volcanic eruptions have
the potential to inject substantial amounts
of sulphur dioxide and ash into the atmosphere.
Volcanic aerosol, a suspension of fine solid
particles or liquid droplets in the air,
is created during eruptions and can be transported
thousands of kilometres. Particles in the
volcanic aerosol may carry pollutants with
the potential to harm human health and ecosystems.
So far, monitoring stations
in Europe have only detected a few episodes
of ambient air concentrations of particulate
matter and sulphur dioxide of volcanic origin,
in particular at elevated mountainous locations,
for example at Zugspitze in Germany (2659
m). The threat to public health in the European
Union is therefore considered minimal at
present.
On Iceland, however,
the situation is different: concentrations
of particulate matter are markedly higher
than usual in some areas. That potentially
represents a significant threat to humans
and farm animals, according to the Icelandic
Directorate of Health, which closely monitors
pollution levels.
In Europe, rain and
snowfall are expected to remove volcanic
debris from the atmosphere. Detecting this
process requires the chemical content of
precipitation to be analysed, which takes
time. Should these data indicate high pollutant
levels, the current assessment of risk for
human health and ecosystems may need to
be reassessed.
The EEA maintains a
public air quality information system, AirWatch,
within its 'Eye on Earth' portal. It displays
near real-time measurements of concentrations
of three air pollutants (ground-level ozone,
particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide)
from approximately 1 000 monitoring stations
in 32 countries, as well as updates from
citizens.
Because ambient air
concentrations and fallout can vary across
short ranges within Europe, the EEA also
advises the public to refer to national
or local air quality authorities, which
may have additional or new information on
local conditions. Detailed information on
national and local data providers is also
available via Eye on Earth.
+ More
How can waste policy
contribute to a resource-efficient economy?
Document Actions
Published: 20 Apr 2010
Some countries are frontrunners on waste
recycling and prevention; others could be
inspired by these experiences. The European
Environment Agency (EEA) and its European
Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption
and Production (ETC/SCP) have compiled a
set of fact sheets presenting information
on national strategies, targets and instruments
for prevention and better management of
waste.
Member States use different
approaches to meet the objectives set by
EU waste legislation. Some have already
experienced success with certain strategies
and specific policy instruments. Did they
use a regulatory instrument such as banning
landfilling of specific waste types or a
market-based instrument such as landfill
tax? Have they set targets beyond the ones
laid down in EU legislation? In addition
to the policies implemented and their results,
the 20 country fact sheets provide an overview
of the legislative frameworks and waste
management plans.
'Full implementation
of EU waste policies, moving from disposal
to waste prevention, re-use and recycling,
is still a big challenge for many countries.
We not only have to stop illegal landfilling
and export, but also stem the loss of resources
through disposal, especially where waste
can be used as part of a resource-efficient
economy,' said Prof. Jacqueline McGlade,
Executive Director of EEA.
