Key message: The trend of air pollution in Serbia has deteriorated
Assessment: The deposition of pollutants from air is one of the main exogenous factors that affect health state of forests and vegetation, as well as quality of forests land, influencing the entire ecosystem stability. Moreover, such deposition also results in reduction of forest resistance to drought, but also on attacks of insects and fungi. Methodology used to determine the deposition of air pollutants is defined by the criteria of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme – MEP (https://www.emep.int/). Based on the results, it can be concluded that there has been a significant reduction in the concentration of the air pollution deposition since 2001.
Figure: Concentration and deposition of main pollutants trend
Indicator Name: Main pollutants concentration and deposition trend
Institution/Author: Environmental Protection Agency/Lidija Marić
Use and interpretation: The air pollutants sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia can contribute to acidification, and nitrogen oxides and ammonia can contribute to terrestrial eutrophication. Above Critical loads are thresholds for pollutant load above which significant harmful effects may occur on biodiversity.
Key question(s) which indicator helps to answer: The indicator helps to answer the question: What is the impact of the atmospheric deposition on biodiversity?
How much Gg pollutions from air were deposited?
Use of indicator: Monitoring the atmospheric deposition is important for evaluating the trends of air pollution and impact on biodiversity. How to reduce the direct pressures from air pollution on biodiversity.
Scale of appropriate use: Represents reduce concentrations of deposition data since 2000
Potential for aggregation:
Meaning of upward or downward trends (“good or bad”): In the Republic of Serbia levels of deposition SOx, NOx, NHx are decreased from 2000.
Possible reasons for upward or downward trends: The possible reasons for downward trends can be from natural and human factor.
Implications for biodiversity management of change in the indicator: The indicator is described in the Annual Report on State of the Environment of the Republic of Serbia and annual Air Quality Report. The Rulebook on the National list of environmental protection indicators (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia No. 37/2011). This indicator will be taken into account for the purpose of implementation of the Strategy of biodiversity.
Units in which it is expressed: Deposition of the air quality pollutants are expressed in Gg, and precipitations are in mm
Description of source data: SEPA, EMEP
Calculation procedure: According to the EMEP criteria.
Most effective forms of presentation: The best way to present this indicator is a graph.
Limits to usefulness and accuracy: (e.g. slow change in response to pressures, poor quality data, limited scope for updating)
Updating the indicator: Data are updating annually.
Closely related indicators: Trends in acidification and eutrophication
Additional information and comments:
Table: Depositions and main pollutants trend
Serbia