Ozone and particulates
a knowledge exchange case study
The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) at Bangor co-ordinates the International Co-operative Programme on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation & Crops (ICP Vegetation), a major international collaborative project that reports on ozone impacts to the United Nations.
The effects of ozone on different vegetation types are quantified and used to map impacts of ozone on crops and wild plants across Europe, allowing policy makers in Europe to understand the current and potential future damage caused by the pollutant.
The ICP Vegetation also reports to the United Nations on the concentrations of heavy metal pollutants (eg lead, mercury, cadmium) in vegetation. Heavy metals of pollutant origin have been discovered in mosses in some of the most remote parts of Europe meaning that pollutants are also being transported many hundreds of miles from sources before being deposited. This information is used to further develop an international protocol to reduce particulate emissions.