NERI Technical report No. 523: ExternE transport methodology for external cost evaluation of air pollution. Jensen, S.S., Berkowicz, R., Brandt, J. Willumsen, E. & Kristensen, N.B. 2004. 43 pp.

 

Summary

 

This report describes how human exposure estimates from NERI’s human exposure modelling system (AirGIS) can improve the Danish data used for exposure factors in the European Commission ExternE Transport methodology - the so-called ‘impact pathway’ methodology applied for social costs estimation of air pollution. The methodology includes emissions, human exposures, dose-response relations, damages and social costs. Exposure factors are defined as the relation between emissions and population exposure (units: person µg/m3 per tonnes per year).

 

Initially, a brief description of the ExternE Transport methodology is given and it is summarised how the methodology has been applied so far in a previous Danish study. This study was prepared by the Ministry of Transport and was the first attempt to apply the ExternE methodology to Danish conditions. It is outlined how data could be further improved to better reflect Danish conditions.

 

New Danish exposure factors have been calculated based on a case study in the greater Copenhagen Area. The case study area is a large part of Sealand including the counties of Frederiksborg, Roskilde and Copenhagen and the municipalities of Frederiksberg and Copenhagen. The area includes the capital of Copenhagen and a large number of cities of varying sizes. A large part of the area is also rural areas. This area serves as the case study area for estimation of emission and exposure factors. Exposure factors have been calculated on the regional scale (Europe) and the local scale (Greater Copenhagen Area). Hence, impacts on the European scale due to emission changes in the Greater Copenhagen Area are also taking into account. Furthermore, Danish exposure factors have been calculated for various urban categories in the Greater Copenhagen Area.

 

Regional and local scale air quality models developed at NERI have been applied to estimate the revised Danish exposure factors based on scenarios of emission changes in the Greater Copenhagen Area and the subsequent concentration fields and population exposures. Exposure factors are estimated for rural and urban areas where urban areas are further grouped in different city size categories.

 

Full report  in pdf format (1,874 kB).