According to a new study, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution has decreased by about 37% in five years in Brussels' low-emission zone. Partners including the Independent Health mutuals, KU Leuven and Hasselt University collaborated to produce the study, the results of which were published on Friday.
Big fall in nitrogen dioxide pollution in Brussels and Antwerp since the launch of Low-Emission Zones
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The study looked at the effects of the low-emission zones (LEZ) introduced in Antwerp (February 2017) and Brussels (January 2018). Antwerp and Brussels were the first two Belgian cities to introduce low-emission zones. The LEZ in Ghent wasn’t launched until January 2020. The researchers say that it is still too early to draw any conclusions from Ghent.
The study shows that in both Brussels and Antwerp there has been a marked improvement in air quality in their respective low-emission zones. Concentrations of nitrogen dioxides (NO2), in particular, have decreased markedly. In Antwerp, there was a 30% drop between 2016 and 2022. In Brussels this was 37%. During the same period, particulate matter (2.5 micrometres) concentrations fell by 17% in Antwerp and by 22%
Improvement noticeable up to 5 km away
The positive impact on air quality extends beyond the low-emission zone alone. An improvement was observed up to 5 kilometres away.
The researchers also note that air pollution in Brussels fell most sharply in the most deprived inner-city neighbourhoods. However, the level of pollution in these neighbourhoods is still higher than in the richer areas of the capital.
The study was carried out by the Independent Health Mutuals, in collaboration with KU Leuven, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) the Belgian Interregional Environment Cell (IRCEL) and the University of Hasselt.