Air quality measurement results for Engelen announced – Province of North Brabant

The aim of the research in Engelen is to gain insight into the influence of the environment on the air quality in the residential area of ​​Engelen.

Concerned residents

Some residents from the village submitted the measurement request to the province. Engelen is located near the A59 and in the vicinity of several industrial estates. This makes some residents concerned about the air quality in their neighborhood. The measured values ​​in Engelen comply with the applicable EU limit values ​​as included in the Environmental Management Act. The measured concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter (PM2.5) are higher than the stricter current WHO recommended values. However, these values ​​have no legal status.

Clean Air Agreement

Hagar Roijackers, deputy for Nature, Environment and Brabant Rural Area Program: ‘We want Brabant to be a pleasant, safe and healthy province. That is why it is important to be able to measure objectively and to look carefully at where any bottlenecks are and what their causes are. Then possible solutions also come into view. As a province, we are affiliated with the Clean Air Agreement. This also applies to the municipality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The aim of the Clean Air Agreement is to jointly permanently improve air quality in the Netherlands. As participating parties, we are taking measures to limit air pollution from domestic sources.’

National highway A59 and De Vutter/Rietvelden industrial area are the most important source

Wind rose analyzes have been carried out to determine the influence of the environment on air quality. These analyzes provide insight into the contribution of the national highway and the industrial area to the air quality in the residential area of ​​Engelen. The wind rose analysis shows that the highest measured concentration of particulate matter comes from sources in an easterly direction, but the wind blows most from a south/southwesterly direction. The wind rose analysis shows that the A59 motorway and the De Vutter/Rietvelden industrial area do not directly contribute to the particulate matter concentration in the residential area of ​​Engelen.

The A59 highway and the De Vutter/Rietvelden industrial area together contribute the most to the measured nitrogen dioxide concentration. From the direction of Treurenburg, where the Treurenburg industrial estate is located, the nitrogen dioxide contribution is negligible. No noticeable contribution from the environment was observed for benzene.

Measuring stations Brabant

To implement the 2 motions ‘Healthy Air’ and ‘More Measuring Points’ from the Provincial Council, the Provincial Executive of the province of North Brabant will have, in addition to fixed measuring stations (Moerdijk, Klundert, Zevenbergen and Ossendrecht), also 2 semi-mobile air measuring stations in 2021. purchased. These stations measure air quality at various locations in Brabant for 5 years. This is at the request of municipalities, citizens or citizen initiatives.

Councilor Rick Vermin of, among others, Environment, Nitrogen and Positive Health: ‘The concentrations of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide in Engelen follow the trend and are comparable to the average concentrations at the measuring stations in North Brabant of the National Air Quality Monitoring Network (LML). We are well on our way, but not yet at the finish line. Slowly but surely getting better.’

Trend-following means that the measured contractions show corresponding variations during the measurement period. If the concentration profile of the measurements deviates significantly from the concentration profile of the various measuring stations, this may indicate the presence of local sources that strongly influence air quality. See also the website of the National Air Quality Monitoring Network (LML).