This Wednesday's ozone pollution peak is set to last.
Although levels are expected to drop on Thursday and Friday, they will again follow the mercury rise promised for early next week to reach warning thresholds.
Because if overall in Île-de-France pollution is decreasing, it still does not comply with the limits set by European regulations.
In a report, published this Wednesday morning by Airparif, the association for monitoring air quality in Île-de-France, shows that there are still many efforts to be made: "Despite a significant downward trend in levels these In recent years, the limit values have not been respected for certain pollutants such as NO 2 (nitrogen dioxide) and PM10”, she explains in the preamble.
France is also in litigation with the Court of Justice of the European Union as well as with the Council of State for non-compliance with the regulations on air quality.
For NO2, it is especially near roads that pollution levels even higher than the authorized limits are observed, since it is emitted by traffic.
On the outskirts of the ring road or motorways, they can be two to three times higher than what the standards require.
However, if the Île-de-France is satisfied with the actions already undertaken – ban on heating with fuel oil, ban on Crit'Air 4
(the old Diesel)
–, plan for protection of the atmosphere at destination which defines in particular measures for industries, the region will record in 2025 compared to 2018, a decrease of -17% for nitrogen oxides (NOx), and -12% for PM10 particles.
Forbid Crit'Air 2 and more
Good news: for the latter, these efforts will be enough.
And in 2025, finally, Ile-de-France will comply with the thresholds set in 2003 for PM10.
Thresholds that aim to limit the impact of pollution on health.
The particles indeed penetrate the respiratory system and can be responsible, among other things, for lung cancer.
See also7,900 lives could be saved if the air were less polluted
For NO 2, on the other hand, we will still be far from the mark in 2025 if we are satisfied with the actions taken.
To comply with European regulations – transcribed into French law – more drastic solutions are therefore necessary.
And the example chosen by Airparif, turns out to be draconian: the removal of all vehicles other than Crit'Air 0 and 1 and for heavy goods vehicles, Crit'Air 2.
A measure obviously eminently difficult to put in place.
We are far from it today.
The Metropolis of Greater Paris has just delayed by one year the ban on Crit'Air 3 for lack of sufficient support from the State for the most modest households and because of the absence of video verbalization.
However, according to Airparif's calculations, only authorizing Crit'Air 0 and 1 vehicles - in other words electric, hybrid and gasoline vehicles after 2010 only - would reduce emissions by 60% and therefore respect the limit thresholds in Paris.
Within Greater Paris, another scenario could be envisaged.
If all open fireplaces – which emit very polluting particles – were eliminated, the restriction could then be a little less strict on emissions from road traffic.
