Van Roy, W.; Merveille, J.-B.; Scheldeman, K.; Van Nieuwenhove, A.; Schallier, R.; Van Roozendael, B.; Maes, F. Assessment of the Effect of International Maritime Regulations on Air Quality in the Southern North Sea. Atmosphere2023, 14, 969.
Van Roy, W.; Merveille, J.-B.; Scheldeman, K.; Van Nieuwenhove, A.; Schallier, R.; Van Roozendael, B.; Maes, F. Assessment of the Effect of International Maritime Regulations on Air Quality in the Southern North Sea. Atmosphere 2023, 14, 969.
Van Roy, W.; Merveille, J.-B.; Scheldeman, K.; Van Nieuwenhove, A.; Schallier, R.; Van Roozendael, B.; Maes, F. Assessment of the Effect of International Maritime Regulations on Air Quality in the Southern North Sea. Atmosphere2023, 14, 969.
Van Roy, W.; Merveille, J.-B.; Scheldeman, K.; Van Nieuwenhove, A.; Schallier, R.; Van Roozendael, B.; Maes, F. Assessment of the Effect of International Maritime Regulations on Air Quality in the Southern North Sea. Atmosphere 2023, 14, 969.
Abstract
Air pollution is a leading cause of death worldwide, and has a profound impact on the planet's climate and ecosystems. A substantial portion of air pollution is attributable to Ocean Going Vessels (OGVs). In light of this, international regulations have been put in place to mitigate air pollutant emissions from OGVs. While studies have indicated that these regulations can create significant health, environmental, and economic benefits, there remains a research gap regarding their specific impact on enhancing air quality. The aim of this study is to investigate how the implemented regulations have affected air quality in the Southern North Sea. The study found that the international regulations on ship emissions have successfully led to a decline in SO2 emissions from OGVs in the Southern North Sea, which resulted in a reduction of ambient SO2 concentrations inland, leading to positive effects on public health and the environment. However, it was projected that their proportion is tend to increase in the following years. Moreover, the study revealed that Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) present significant concerns. They were significantly more frequently found to be non-compliant, and more alarmingly, they emit notably higher average levels of SO2. It also turned out that international regulations in the southern North Sea have less effect on the reduction of NOx emissions from OGVs than expected. The NOx emissions from OGVs will even account for an alarming 40% of the total domestic NOx emissions for the Belgian Region by 2030.
Keywords
MARPOL Annex VI, emissions from ocean going vessels, remote emission monitoring, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ECA, air quality measurements.
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Pollution
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
