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Project title

Transboundary Air Pollution Fellowship

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)

Lead Applicant

Stephan Leinert

Project Abstract

In the 1960ies scientists demonstrated the interrelationship between sulphuremissions in continental Europe and acidification of Scandinavian lakes i- a transboundaryeffect of air pollution. The UN conference on the human environment1972 in Stockholm signaled the start for active international cooperation to combatacidification. Studies in the 1970ies confirmed that pollutants can travel forthousands of miles before deposition and damage to the environment occurred.This lead to the Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP;the convention) 1979 in Geneva under the United Nations Economic Commissionfor Europe (UNECE). Subsequently several protocols to the conventionwere agreed: 1984 EMEP on setting up a monitoring program 1985 sulphur reduction 1988 on NOx 1991 on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) 1994 on sulphur 1998 on heavy metals 1998 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) 1999 on acidification eutrophication ground level ozoneThe 1984 protocol agreed the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme(EMEP)(Figure 2).The implementation of the protocol on sulphur reduction led to a substantialdecrease of sulphur levels in ambient air over the last decades as shown in Figure 3(data from Valentia Observatory).Main objective of EMEP is to regularly provide governments and subsidiarybodies ... with qualified scientific information... .

Grant Approved

�158,750.29

Research Hub

Climate Change

Research Theme

Trans-Boundary Air Pollution/Short Life Climate Forcers

Start Date

n/a

Initial Projected Completion Date

n/a