On the same subject INTERVIEW
Sophie Moukthar, Engineer at Airparif, association responsible monitoring of pollution in the Ile-de-France, alternating traffic system has reduced by 15% particulate emissions in March 2014.
What is the specificity of Episode pollution raging since Tuesday in the North of France?
This is a pollution “particles”. That is to say, a pollution due to the presence, in suspension in air, of particles smaller than 10 micrometers (PM10). There was first of particles called “primary”, that is to say, issued as such or by the abrasion phenomena (vehicle brakes, dust …) or issued by the pots of exhaust (diesel), or finally by district heating. Then there is the particles ‘secondary’, created by the interaction of various gaseous emissions: ammonia (largely emitted by agriculture), nitrous oxide (linked to road traffic) and sulfate (from industry, in small quantities in the Ile-de-France).
In Ile-de-France, this pollution is only of local origin?
No, some of the particles comes from other regions, brought by the northeast winds. This is what we call “import”. The current pollution episode also affects the entire northern France, but also Belgium and Great Britain.
What is the health hazard?
The particles are a danger chronically, and no particular threshold. They are small enough to be deposited in the bronchi and lungs. In times of pollution, this risk is especially important for vulnerable people, such as the elderly or young children. In general, you should not play sports.
The alternating traffic measurement is it effective?
This is the measure effective in reducing the concentration of particles even if a part is related to “import”. Following the introduction of this measure in March 2014 in Paris and in 22 neighboring towns, there had been a 18% decline in traffic, resulting in a reduction on the day, 15% of PM 10 and 6 % of their concentration near traffic axes. At the peak evening traffic, this reduction of the concentration had even reached 10%. But as there is no point at which the particle concentration is dangerous to humans, any reduction has a direct impact on health.
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