Analysis of distributions of hourly NO2 concentrations contributing to annual average NO2 concentrations across the European monitoring network 2000-2014

The analysis of over 2,500 European monitoring sites reveals that annual average NO2 concentrations are driven by diverse hourly and monthly contributions that do not follow specific regional patterns. Between 2000 and 2014, trends showed an increase in NO2 contributions from winter months and rush-hour periods, while the contribution from peak hourly concentrations decreased. Because sites with similar annual averages can have very different underlying concentration patterns due to local emissions, chemistry, and meteorology, the study argues that air quality mitigation strategies must be tailored to the specific variability of each location rather than applied uniformly.

• Between 2010 and 2014, annual average NO2 concentrations exceeded the European Union limit value of 40µgm−3 at 8% of the more than 2,500 monitoring sites analyzed.
• Analysis of 259 sites between 2000 and 2014 indicates that the annual average NO2 concentration is increasingly influenced by winter months and rush-hour periods, while the influence of peak hourly concentrations has declined.
• The drivers of annual NO2 concentrations vary significantly even within small geographic areas, meaning that air quality reduction measures effective in one location may not work in another.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2018). Analysis of distributions of hourly NO2 concentrations contributing to annual average NO2 concentrations across the European monitoring network 2000-2014. https://www.sei.org/publications/analysis-distributions-hourly-no2-concentrations-contributing-annual-average-no2-concentrations-across-european-monitoring-network-2000-2014/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Analysis of distributions of hourly NO2 concentrations contributing to annual average NO2 concentrations across the European monitoring network 2000-2014. 2018. https://www.sei.org/publications/analysis-distributions-hourly-no2-concentrations-contributing-annual-average-no2-concentrations-across-european-monitoring-network-2000-2014/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Analysis of distributions of hourly NO2 concentrations contributing to annual average NO2 concentrations across the European monitoring network 2000-2014 |date=12 March 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/analysis-distributions-hourly-no2-concentrations-contributing-annual-average-no2-concentrations-across-european-monitoring-network-2000-2014/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2018analysis, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Analysis of distributions of hourly NO2 concentrations contributing to annual average NO2 concentrations across the European monitoring network 2000-2014}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/analysis-distributions-hourly-no2-concentrations-contributing-annual-average-no2-concentrations-across-european-monitoring-network-2000-2014/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }