Graphic Yearbook 2013
VI. SMOG WARNING AND REGULATORY SYSTEM
CHMI authorized by the Ministry of the Environment operates the
Smog warning and regulatory system (SVRS). Information provided
through this system serve both for informing on the
extraordinary level of ambient air pollution (smog situation)
and for the regulation (reduction) of pollutants released from
selected sources markedly influencing ambient air quality in the
given territory. The monitored pollutants include PM10 suspended
particles, sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and
ground-level ozone (O3).
Starting from 1 September 2012 the operation of SVRS is newly
set down by the Air Protection Act and by the Decree No.
330/2012 Coll.1 The main changes in comparison to the previous
legislation are described in CHMI yearbook for the year 2012 (CHMI
2013a). Smog situations and regulations (alert for ozone) are
announced on the basis of the threshold values exceedances. The
rules laying down the operation of SVRS are presented in
Table
VI.1. The list of areas and representative stations was
originally set out in the Bulletin of the Ministry of the
Environment No. 9/2012. However, on 31 December 2012 SO2 and NO2
measurements at the station Třinec-Kosmos were finished and on 8
April 2013 the station Bohumín was shut. As a consequence, the
Třinec area was included again into the agglomeration of
Ostrava/Karviná/Frýdek-Místek (O/K/F-M) for the measurements of
SO2 and NO2. The updated list of SVRS areas and representative
stations for PM10, SO2 and NO2 is published in the Bulletin of
the Ministry of the Environment No. 9, 10/2013.
Fig. VI.1 and
Fig. VI.2 shows the SVRS areas and representative stations for
PM10 and O3.
The system of the current rules results in the practice that the
smog situations and regulations for PM10 are announced and
cancelled with delay in regard to the actual development of
concentrations. Therefore CHMI prepared a draft amendment of
Annex No. 6 to Air Protection Act aimed at the elimination of
this drawback.
PM10, SO2 and NO2
In 2013 smog situations were announced only due to the
exceedance of threshold values for PM10 suspended particles.
Similarly as in the previous years, there was not announced any
smog situation for SO2 and NO2.
In total 20 smog situations for PM10 were announced in 2013
lasting in total 56 days (1,349 hours) and one regulation
lasting 2 days (33 hours;
Table VI.2).
Smog situations were announced most frequently in the territory
of the agglomeration of O/K/F-M without Třinec area, in Třinec
area and in the Moravia-Silesia zone. The most extensive
announcement as concerns the territory (including also Bohemia
territory) occurred in the second half of January, when smog
situation was valid in eight SVRS areas simultaneously. The last
smog situation ended on 19 November (Fig. VI.3,
Table VI.3).
Besides smog situations, all SVRS stations recorded also the
exceedances of the daily limit value for PM10. In the cold half
of the year (January–March and October–December) the best
situation was in the Karlovy Vary region (5 % of days), Vysočina
region and South Bohemia region. On the contrary, the greatest
number of days with daily limit value exceedances was recorded
in the agglomeration of O/K/F-M without Třinec area (52 % of
days), Central Bohemia region and Ústí nad Labem region (Table
VI.4).
Ground-level ozone (O3)
In 2013 due to high concentrations of ground-level ozone 16 smog
situations in total were announced; their total duration was 23
days (553 hours;
Table VI.5). The first smog situation was
announced on 25 April in the territory of the South Bohemia
region. The rather extensive announcements, as concerns the size
of the territory, occurred in early August, when smog situations
were announced in four SVRS areas simultaneously. The last smog
situation ended on 9 August.
Smog situation was not announced in the following regions:
Hradec Králové region, Pardubice region, Karlovy Vary region,
Zlín region, Olomouc region, Vysočina region and the
agglomeration of O/K/F-M. The alert threshold value was not
exceeded in any area (Table VI.5).
Besides the exceedance of the threshold values also daily limit
value was exceeded (the first exceedance at the SVRS stations
occurred on 28 March and the last one on 8 September). The best
situation in the warm half of the year (April–September) was in
this regard in the agglomeration of Brno where the limit value
for O3 was exceeded only in 10 % of days, and then in the
Karlovy Vary region, Pardubice region and Liberec region. On the
contrary, most frequent exceedances of the limit value were
recorded in the South Bohemia region (28 % of days;
Table VI.7).
Tab. VI.1 The rules for the announcement and cancelling of smog
situations and regulations (alerts)
Tab. VI.2 Smog situations and regulations for PM10 in 2013 – number and duration
Tab. VI.3 Smog situations and regulations for PM10 in 2013 – dates and times of announcement
Tab. VI.5 Smog situations and alerts for O3 in 2013 – number and duration
Tab. VI.6 Smog situations and alerts for O3 in 2013 – dates and times of announcement
Fig. VI.1 SVRS areas and representative stations for PM10
Fig. VI.2 SVRS areas and representative stations for O3
Fig. VI.3 Smog situations and regulations for PM10 in 2013 in the SVRS areas in which at least one smog situation was announced
1Decree No. 330/2012 Coll., on the method of assessment and evaluation of ambient air pollution level, on the extent of informing the public on the level of ambient air pollution and during smog situations.
