Why should we care about this issue

Air quality affects the quality of life of the people and the whole ecosystem alike, so the air protection is one of the top priorities in the national environmental policies. Air pollution is generally the most important cause of damage inflicted to the forest ecosystem, while tropospheric ozone, same as the emission of particulate matter and NO2, particularly in large agglomerations, could pose a risk for physical health of population, vegetation and ecosystems. Eutrophication caused by excessive deposition of nitrogen is also identified as one of threats to biodiversity.

Air pollution travels over great distances and across the state borders, so this problem demands an international cooperation at the highest level. Croatia works hard in the area of air quality management.

Emission of all pollutants into the air (with exception of particulate matter) is generally on decrease in Croatia, as a result of accomplishing the basic goals in air protection during the period under consideration: improvement in air quality by reduction in harmful emissions to the levels where they do not affect physical health of population and environment, and upgrading and improving the air quality monitoring systems.

Air quality in settlements

Air quality is monitored in settlements and cities or their parts where a more significant pollution occurs. In rural areas the air is generally clean, and pollution is transported there from polluted urban or industrial areas.

Clean or slightly polluted air (first category air) was recorded in 60 % of cities and settlements or their parts in Croatia in the period from 2005 to 2008 . Moderately polluted air, or second category air, was recorded in 20 % of cities and settlements or their parts, while excessively polluted air, or third category air, was also recorded in 20 % of cities and settlements or their parts.

The pollutants which excessively or moderately contaminate the air include sulphur dioxide,  nitrogen dioxide, total suspended particulate matter, suspended particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 µm (PM₁₀), suspended particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM_2.5), benzo-a-pyrene in PM₁₀, hydrogen sulphide, ozone, benzene, ammonia, total deposited matter, lead, nickel, cadmium and thallium in total deposited matter.

Atmospheric pollution of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 µm (PM₁₀) is the most widespread problem in Croatia. The particles primarily come from traffic, large combustion plants and large point sources .

Targeted measurements of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) are done in Rijeka, Kutina and Sisak. The air quality was of second and third category due to too many exceedances of hourly concentration of limit values and margins of tolerance. Mean annual concentrations were mainly below the allowable limit value  .

Air pollution with ammonia (NH₃) has been reduced in Croatia  .

Ozone

Tropospheric ozone is the key ingredient of so-called summer smog, the main pollution problem in almost all big cities worldwide. In Zagreb and Rijeka agglomerations, air quality with respect to ozone was of second and third category respectively. The ground-level ozone is the most important photochemical oxidising agents in troposphere. It is a secondary pollutant since it is not emitted directly, but generated by photochemical reactions (with solar irradiation) from nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds which comprise the urban atmosphere.

 Acidification and eutrophication

The spatial distribution of mean annual concentrations (mg/l) and mean annual deposition (kg/ha) of sulphate, nitrate and ammonia is shown in Figure 4. Precipitation pollution by sulphates is the most prominent in Osijek, eastern Croatia, and in areas with increased SO₂ emissions (City of Rijeka area).

Ammonia concentrations in the region of Slavonia, eastern Croatia, are twice the national average. Significant sources of ammonia emissions are agriculture and animal husbandry, which are dominant in the eastern Croatia (Slavonia) region. Transboundary air pollution movement from neighbouring countries, particularly from Serbia and Hungary considerably contributes to increasing values acidification and eutrophication compounds in the area of eastern Croatia.

The largest deposition of acidification and eutrophication compounds is recorded around the City of Rijeka and in Gorski Kotar region, and in eastern Croatia. Although ammonia concentrations in precipitation are greatest in eastern Croatia, the highest level of deposition has been recorded in Gorski Kotar, which is due to increased precipitation rates in this area. Climate in areas with particularly high levels of deposition is characterised by increased precipitation, but there is also an important contribution of local sources of sulphate, especially in the area of the City of Rijeka.

The key drivers and pressures

Air pollutant emissions in Croatia, 2008

The energy production industry is the main source of major part of the air pollution in Croatia. The energy sector includes emissions from fuel combustion and fugitive emissions. The energy sector contributes with 88.4 % of total SO₂ emissions, 88.9 % of NOx, 27.1 % of NMVOC, 73.6 % of PM_2.5, 61.2 % of PM₁₀, 94.6 % of CO, 57.3 to 91.8 % of the main heavy metals and 99.2 % of dioxins/furans.

Production processes also contribute to the emissions into the air. The industries with the highest emissions are mineral production (cement, lime), production of inorganic chemical substances (ammonia and nitric acid) and metal industry. Production processes contribute to particulate matter emissions with 64.4 %, NOx emissions with 9.8 %, heavy metal emissions from 7.9 % to 42.7 %, and PCB emissions with 100 %. The use of solvents and solvent-based products is only relevant for NMVOC emissions (58.4 %). Agriculture is the main source of NH₃ emissions (82.6 %).

Air pollution emission trends in Croatia, 1990‑2008

Emission of all air pollutants is generally decreasing, except for particulate matter. Croatia is a party to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and eight associated protocols (hereinafter LRTAP Convention), thus it will endeavour to additionally reduce future emissions, which by the end of 2020 must not exceed the prescribed emission ceilings for 2010. (Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone, hereinafter the Gothenburg Protocol).

Air pollution emission trends in Croatia for sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitric oxide (NO_x), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), ammonia (NH₃), heavy metals (Pb, Hg and Cd), and persistent organic pollutants and particles (TSP, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) for the period 1990-2008 are shown in Figures 5 - 12 [3].

Link to the annual emission inventory (LRTAP) for 2008:

http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/hr/un/UNECE_CLRTAP_HR/envs6hosghr

NMVOC emission in Croatia has been slightly increasing since 2001 due to an increase in sector Solvent and other product use and fuel consumption. Under the Gothenburg Protocol Croatia committed to maintain total NMVOC emission below 90 Gg. Projections [4] for NMVOC  envisage that emissions in 2010, 2015 and 2020 will be below the ceiling emissions if Croatia implemented a scenario with measures and/or scenario with additional measures (Table 1).

Under the Regulation on Emission Ceilings for Certain Pollutants [5], Croatia committed to reduce NH₃ emission to the limit value of 45 Gg by 2010. The commitment under the Gothenburg Protocol is more stringent, i.e. 30 Gg. The difference between the limit values prescribed by these two documents results from repeated calculation carried out for the 2003 Report on Emission of Air Pollutants on the Territory of the Republic of Croatia, which resulted in increase in NH₃ emission trend.

The 2020 outlook

Projections  for four main pollutants show that 2010 emissions of SO₂, NO_x and NMVOC will be below the emission ceilings as defined by the Gothenburg Protocol while the NH₃ emission is expected to be above the emission ceilings. As far as Croatian legislation is concerned, it is expected that the requirements of the Regulation on Emission Ceilings for Certain Pollutantswill be met. Under the Regulation on Emission Ceilings for Certain Pollutants, Croatia has to reduce the NH₃ emission to stipulated limit value of 45 Gg. The commitment under the Gothenburg Protocol is more stringent, i.e. 30 Gg.

It is expected that, in 2015 and 2020, Croatia will also meet the Gothenburg Protocol requirements for SO₂, NO_x and NMVOC emissions, while in the case of NH₃ it will probably not meet these requirements unless additional measures are taken .

It should be pointed out that these projections are based on future energy consumption according to the Energy Strategy for the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette 130/09) and the relevant legislation (Table 1), but without taking into account the economic crisis which may affect the implementation of the Strategy.

If the measures from the Programme for Gradual Emission Reduction of Certain Pollutants  were implemented, reduction in pollutant emission should be expected and consequently probable mitigation of their impact on human health and the environment.

Table 1: Targets according to the Gothenburg Protocol and the Regulation on Emission Ceilings in comparison with projected emissions in the no measures taken (NM), measures taken (M) and additional measures (AM) scenarios for the years 2010, 2015 and 2020

Existing and planned responses