Air

Air quality monitoring

We are aware that port activity generates emissions into the atmosphere that, along with those of the rest of the metropolitan environment, contribute to air pollution in the port and the city. In order to take the appropriate measures, we monitor air quality, measuring suspended particles and gaseous pollutants.

The air quality of the port environment shows an improvement since the early 2000s, when we began to monitor the immission levels of the main polluting gases in accordance with the legislation.
Royal Decree 102/2011, of 28 January

The impact on the environment

Emissions of nitrogen oxides and suspended particles with a diameter of less than 10 µm produced within the port area account for between 15 and 20% of total emissions in the Barcelona metropolitan region. The impact on the city's pollution levels is minor, below 10%, since a large part of these emissions is dispersed into the sea.

 

Source of the data

This is what studies by the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Barcelona City Council confirm, which take into account the emissions from vehicles on the premises, the expansion works and maintenance, ships and machinery used in port operations.

 

The manual network: suspended particles

We installed the first high-volume collectors for suspended particles in 1996 and began collecting samples of this pollutant. As of the air quality legislation of the year 2000, we began to measure PM10 particles with an equivalent diameter of less than 10 µm and, later, PM2.5 .

The manual network is made up of 8 sequential high-volume collectors for suspended particles located in 5 stations, all with collectors for PM10 and 3 of them also with PMa collector for 2.5.

In addition, we manage 2 high-volume collectors for total suspended particles (TSP) that are used only to measure soybean allergen concentrations.

 

Approved collector

The PM10 collector located in Port Vell is approved within the Pollution Surveillance and Weather Forecasting Network of Catalonia (XVPCA), which is managed by the Department of Territory and Sustainability of the Generalitat and whose data is used to officially assess Air Quality in the city of Barcelona.

The automatic network: polluting gases

The automatic network is made up of 3 stations equipped with different automatic gas pollution analysers according to each case:

  • Nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
  • Sulphur dioxide (SO2).
  • Ozone (O3).
  • Benzene (C6H6).

 

Data value

Since they are located in an eminently industrial environment, the values provided by these stations are only indicative of air quality in relation to what is established by regulations. But they are very useful for evaluating the evolution over time of the impact of port activity on the atmosphere.

The decreases registered in the 2020 financial year are due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The value of SO2 falls due to a decrease in ship traffic and the new regulations for these on the use of fuels with less sulphur content. The drop in the values of NOx and PM10 is a consequence of the reduction in terrestrial mobility.

The values of PM10 in air also depend on carrying out works or operations with solid bulk.