The particle pollution in France in December 2016: exceptional or normal situation?

• Main Author: Z. NOUACEUR
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cluj University Press 2017-03-01
• Series: Aerul şi Apa: Componente ale Mediului
• Subjects: particle pollution; PM10; France
• Online Access: http://aerapa.conference.ubbcluj.ro/2017/PDF/43_Nouaceur_338_344.pdf

The type of cold anti-cyclonic winter weather represents a climatic situation that reinforces the stability of the low atmospheric layers. It creates ideal conditions for the occurrence of temperature inversions (the air is cooler in the lower layers than in the upper layers). These phenomena favor the blockage of pollutant particles and accentuate their concentration in atmosphere. In recent years, the alerts to pollution by particles have multiplied in France. This situation is new, because of the changed measurement protocol in January 2007 and by lowering the alert and information thresholds since January 2012. The pollution alerts which multiplied during the month of December 2016 generated a great political debate on this subject. The alternating traffic has been adopted twice in Paris. A "Crit'Air" vignette issued to the clean cars is now mandatory from 15 January 2017 to circulate in Paris. The present paper aims to study this new situation from the December 2016 pollution episode.