Antwerp & Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – BEZ zones in Antwerp and Brussels have resulted in cleaner air and less pollution. This finding comes from a study performed by the Independent Health Insurance Funds, along with other researchers. The concentration of nitrogen dioxide is noticeably lower.
The air in Antwerp and Brussels is now cleaner thanks to the low-emission zone (LEZ). Independent Health Insurance Funds recently conducted a study which supports this. Nitrogen dioxide levels have decreased more than other substances.
The report looked into the changes that the implementation of low-emission zones caused in Antwerp (in February 2017) and Brussels (in January 2018). Ghent and Tournai are the cities where this policy was introduced first. The researchers say that the LEZ in Ghent, introduced in January last year, is still too new to assess, as reported by VRT.
The report demonstrates that, for the last five years, air quality is much better in the low-emission zones of Antwerp and Brussels.
The amount of nitrogen dioxide in the air is obviously lower than before. From 2016 to 2022, there was a decrease of 30% in Antwerp and a decrease of 37% in Brussels. During that time, the amount of fine dust particles decreased by 17% in Antwerp and by 22% in Brussels.
These problems are present in broadly located areas, not only close to low-emission sites. It was possible to notice higher air quality for up to 5 kilometres from the source.
Researchers have also observed that the decline in Brussels’ air quality is greatest in the poorest central areas. Still, these neighbourhoods have more pollution compared to the more affluent neighbourhoods. One more interesting observation is that the use of diabetes medication has gone down in cities that have LEZs. The authors call for more studies on this issue.
It is understood that air pollution jeopardises human health. Contact with nitrogen dioxide may cause the respiratory system to be irritated and lead to asthma. It has been proven that individuals living in areas with higher levels of air pollution pay more visits to their doctors. Exposure to particulate matter can result in heart and breathing-related diseases as well as mental health problems.
How have low-emission zones historically impacted air quality in Belgium?
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter have caused significant air pollution in Belgium, leading to serious diseases related to the lungs and heart. Cities like Antwerp and Brussels used to have high pollution from traffic before the introduction of low-emission zones. Because of this, Antwerp established its LEZ in February 2017, Brussels did so in January 2018, and Ghent added its LEZ in 2020. They banned the most polluting vehicles, introducing rules based on their fuel type and the European standards they followed.
