1. Contributions to total changes in emissions of ozone precursors
Methane
NMVOC
NOx CO

2. Nitrogen dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide is clearly a problem at hot spots, mainly at traffic locations.
NO2 ambient concentrations have generally declined as NOx emissions decreased. We are talking about 15% decrease in NO2 concentrations from 1999 to 2009.
12% of the urban population lived in areas where the annual EU limit value and the WHO air quality guidelines were exceeded in The situation is slowly improving.
I should mention that the trends discussed here are aggregated European trends. At certain locations in Europe the NO2 trends can be reversed, depending on the local emission changes and the emissions profiles.

3. Acidification and eutrophication
This is just to show that large areas in Europe are still impacted by acidification and eutrophication.

4. Sulphur dioxide
Now, going to Sulphur dioxide, for many a success story.
Large parts of Europe is green, the trends are negative and a very small fraction of the urban population is exposed to excedances of the EU limit value.
Now, before we leave this page, imagine what happens if the red line in the frequency distribution is moved from the current 125 ug/m3 to the 20 ug/m3 level required by WHO. A majority of the European monitoring stations would fall to the right of that line. This translates into a significant fraction of the urban population exposed.

5. Carbon monoxide
For Carbon monoxide, we can acknowledge the significant improvements in the last decades.
We don’t need to calculate the European urban population exposure. We can conclude that urban European’s exposure to concentrations above the limit value is very localised and infrequent, limited to very few areas, near traffic and industry.

6. Heavy metals
The atmospheric levels of heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb and Ni) – not all the heavy metals, but the regulated ones, are generally low in Europe with few exceedances of limit or target values.
Most of the target values have not entered into force.

7. Emissions of selected heavy metals

8. Changes in emissions of selected heavy metals

9. Benzene
For benzene, another positive story, we have significantly reduced concentrations at traffic stations as a result of decreased emissions from vehicles.

10. Benzo(a)Pyrene
Benzo(a)pyrene is used as a marker for the total mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
No trends in BaP can be seen in the few stations in operation since However, measurements show clearly that exceedances of the target value to be met by 2013 are significant and widespread in Central and Eastern Europe.

11. Key findings of the report
Particulate matter: 20 % of the EU urban population lives in areas where the EU air quality 24-hour limit value for PM10 concentration was exceeded in However, % of the EU urban population is exposed to levels of PM10 which exceeded the more stringent WHO air quality guidelines. This situation does not seem to be improving.

12. Key findings of the report
Ozone: Ozone is not directly emitted but instead is the product of chemical reactions between other gases. Although man-made emissions of many of these ‘precursors’ has declined, peak ozone levels did not fall significantly between 1999 and The annual mean ozone is stagnant or slightly increasing.

13. Key findings of the report
Ozone: Approximately 17 % of European citizens live in areas where the EU target for ozone concentration was exceeded in 2009.
If ozone levels are compared to the more stringent WHO guidelines, more than 95% of the EU urban population was exposed to ozone exceeding this level.
About one third of the total arable land in the 32 EEA member countries was also exposed to levels of ozone above the EU target level.

14. Key findings of the report
Sulphur dioxide: From 1999 to 2009, Europe cut SO2 levels by roughly 50 %, leading to declines in acid rain and reduced acidification. Very few EU urban citizens are exposed to levels of SO2 above the EU limit value, although % of the EU urban population is potentially exposed to levels above the WHO guidelines.

15. Key findings of the report
Nitrogen dioxide: Concentrations of NO2 have declined slightly in recent years. Exceedances occurred usually at hot-spots, such as main roads.
12 % of the European urban population live in areas with urban background (non-traffic) concentrations of NO2 exceeding EU and WHO levels.

16. Key findings of the report
Heavy metals: Atmospheric levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and nickel are generally low in Europe. However, heavy metal levels can build up in soils, sediments and organisms. Despite considerable cuts in emissions of heavy metals since 1990 in the EU, a significant proportion of European ecosystems are still at risk of heavy metal contamination.

17. Air quality in Europe — 2011 report
This table gives an overview of the proportion of the EU urban population exposed to pollutant concentrations above the limit and target values set in the EU legislation, and the air quality guidelines set by WHO.
Current pollution levels clearly impact on large parts of the urban population.
None of the listed pollutants here can be considered as no longer important. Simply, because they are all subjected to exceedances. Otherwise, they would be coloured in green. As you can see there is no green in this table.
The highest exposures estimates are calculated for Ozone, PM and SO2 in relation to the WHO standards.
Policy makers at all levels need to strengthen their efforts to reduce ambient air pollution to levels below the ones in WHO guidelines which are considered to be acceptable and achievable objectives to minimize health effects in the context of local constraints, capabilities, and public health priorities.

18. publications/air-quality-in-europe-2011
publications/air-quality-in-europe-2011
You will find more details and facts in the Air Quality in Europe – 2011 report.

19.
Revealing the costs of air pollution from industrial facilities in Europe
Air pollution impacts from carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Laying the foundations for greener transport — TERM 2011: transport indicators tracking progress towards environmental targets in Europe
Impact of selected policy measures on Europe's air quality
Air pollution — SOER 2010 thematic assessment
Urban environment — SOER 2010 thematic assessment
Moreover, if you are interested in other, closely related topics, EEA has produced the following reports in the past year.