Air, Water, and Soil Pollution

The physical environment of western Europe (its air, water, and soil) has been affected by a wide range of pollutants for centuries. Localized pollution of water from anthropogenic sources has been observed since the time of the Roman Empire and by the medieval period cities already experienced air pollution problems. As will be seen, proposals to tackle pollution in the Rhine stretch back to the fifteenth century. However, extensive pollution of the environment was a characteristic of the industrial revolution and major and widespread impacts have been observed throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Only in the last few decades have the emissions (and, therefore, impacts) of many of these pollutants declined due to measures taken by the countries of the region, both collectively and individually (Farmer 1997). This chapter presents an overview of trends in air, water, and soil pollution. In each case the pollutants of most concern will be discussed, indicating their sources and impacts; locations are indicated in Fig. 19.1. In each case the measures that have been adopted to reduce these pollutants will be described, not least to suggest trends for the future. The monitoring of pollutant emissions, concentrations in the environment, and their specific impacts have generated enormous quantities of data over many years. Basic ‘state of environment’ information is produced at the municipal, regional, national, and international level. The latter includes reports produced by EU institutions, especially the European Commission and the European Environment Agency, as well as other multilateral co-operative institutions such as the Rhine Commission. Severe air pollution sources are concentrated, among other regions, in the traditional heavy industry complexes in north-eastern France, Luxembourg, the Meuse valley in Belgium, and in the huge Ruhr industrial complex in western Germany. The range of air pollutants produced by human activity, as well as the impacts that they cause, are extensive. This section will focus on the following pollutants: ammonia, nitrogen oxides, ozone, particulates, and sulphur dioxide. These result in a range of impacts from direct effects on human health and on vegetation to damage to buildings and materials and acidification and eutrophication of soils and water.