Die Veröffentlichung analysiert die Ursachen der NO2-Belastung in Sachsen und prognostiziert deren Entwicklung. Die aktualisierte Version des Handbuchs der Emissionsfaktoren des Straßenverkehrs (HBEFA 3.1) ist eine der Datengrundlagen. Hauptverursacher von NO2-Grenzwertüberschreitungen in sächsischen Städten ist der Kfz-Verkehr. Die sächsischen Daten von Verkehrsstationen im Zeitraum von 1995 bis 2009 bestätigen den bundesweit abnehmenden Trend. An hoch belasteten Straßen sind weitere dauerhafte und/oder temporäre Maßnahmen erforderlich, um den NO2-Grenzwert bis spätestens 2015 einzuhalten. Die Erneuerung der Kfz-Flotte reicht dafür nicht aus. Als sofort wirkende Maßnahme hat auch unter Berücksichtigung des neuen HBEFA 3.1 die Umweltzone ihre Berechtigung. Die Festlegung von wirksamen Maßnahmen erfordert eine individuelle Planung.

Background There are a few epidemiological studies that (1) link increased ambient air pollution (AP) with an increase in lung cancer incidence rates and (2) investigate whether residing in green spaces could be protective against cancer. However, it is completely unclear whether other forms of cancer are also affected by AP and if residential green spaces could lower cancer incidence rates in general. Therefore, the objective was to estimate whether AP and green space are associated with several cancer types. Methods The analysis was based on routine health care data from around 1.9 million people from Saxony who were free of cancer in 2008 and 2009. Incident cancer cases (2010–2014) of mouth and throat, skin (non-melanoma skin cancer - NMSC), prostate, breast, and colorectum were defined as: (1) one inpatient diagnosis, or (2) two outpatient diagnoses in two different quarters within one year and a specific treatment or death within two quarters after the diagnosis. Exposures, derived from freely available 3rd party data, included particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μm (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (N02) as well as green space (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - NDVI). Associations between air pollutants, green space, and cancer incidence were assessed by multilevel Poisson models. Age, sex, physician contacts, short- and long-term unemployment, population density, and having an alcohol-related disorder were considered as potential confounders. Results Three thousand one hundred seven people developed mouth and throat cancer, 33,178 NMSC, 9611 prostate cancer, 9577 breast cancer, and 11,975 colorectal cancer during the follow-up period (2010–2014). An increase in PM10 of 10 μg/m3 was associated with a 53% increase in relative risk (RR) of mouth and throat cancer and a 52% increase in RR of NMSC. Prostate and breast cancer were modestly associated with PM10 with an increase in RR of 23 and 19%, respectively. The associations with N02 were in the same direction as PM10 but the effect estimates were much lower (7–24%). A 10% increase in NDVI was most protective of mouth and throat cancer (− 11% RR) and of NMSC (− 16% RR). Colorectal cancer was not affected by any of the exposures. Conclusions In addition to the studies carried out so far, this study was able to provide evidence that higher ambient AP levels increase the risk of mouth and throat cancer as well as of NMSC and that a higher residential green space level might have a protective effect for NMSC in areas with low to moderate UV intensity. Nevertheless, we cannot rule out residual confounding by socioeconomic or smoking status.

Die Luftverschmutzung ist weltweit nach wie vor eines der größten Umweltprobleme. Bei der Ursachenanalyse gestaltet es sich als besonders schwierig den höchst variablen Einfluss der meteorologischen Bedingungen auf die Schadstoffkonzentration zu eliminieren (Immission) und damit wirksame Luftreinhaltemaßnahmen zu entwickeln. Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit werden Methoden vorgestellt und diskutiert, die das natürlich vorkommende radioaktive Edelgas Radon als atmosphärischen Tracer nutzen, um den Einfluss der meteorologischen Bedingungen auf die Immissionskonzentration auszuschalten und damit unterschiedliche Schadstoffkonzentrationen objektiv vergleichbar zu machen. Für einen Zeitraum von vier Jahren wurden hierfür an einer Luftgütemessstation des städtischen Hintergrunds die Luftschadstoffe Stickstoffdioxid (NO2) und Feinstaub als PM10 und PM2.5 sowie das radioaktive Edelgas Radon gemessen. Zudem wurden Daten einer verkehrsnahen Station verwendet sowie meteorologische Daten. / Air pollution is one of the main environmental problems worldwide. Beside the emission the spread of air pollutants is affected by the shape of the earth surface, the land use and the meteorological conditions of the near surface atmosphere. In this conection the meteorological conditions are very difficult to estimate, because these conditions are a result of the combination of many variables which furthermore change in a short period. With this work are methods presented and discussed which use the naturally occurring noble gas Radon as a tracer in the atmospheric boundary layer. Measured data were analyzed with statistical methods and the Radon-Tracer-Method. For a period of four years there were measured the air pollutants nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) and the tracer Radon. The measurement took place at an air quality control station in the urban background. Furthermore, there were used data from an urban traffic station at a high frequented main street (hot spot) and meteorological data.

Background There are a few epidemiological studies that (1) link increased ambient air pollution (AP) with an increase in lung cancer incidence rates and (2) investigate whether residing in green spaces could be protective against cancer. However, it is completely unclear whether other forms of cancer are also affected by AP and if residential green spaces could lower cancer incidence rates in general. Therefore, the objective was to estimate whether AP and green space are associated with several cancer types. Methods The analysis was based on routine health care data from around 1.9 million people from Saxony who were free of cancer in 2008 and 2009. Incident cancer cases (2010–2014) of mouth and throat, skin (non-melanoma skin cancer - NMSC), prostate, breast, and colorectum were defined as: (1) one inpatient diagnosis, or (2) two outpatient diagnoses in two different quarters within one year and a specific treatment or death within two quarters after the diagnosis. Exposures, derived from freely available 3rd party data, included particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μm (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (N02) as well as green space (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - NDVI). Associations between air pollutants, green space, and cancer incidence were assessed by multilevel Poisson models. Age, sex, physician contacts, short- and long-term unemployment, population density, and having an alcohol-related disorder were considered as potential confounders. Results Three thousand one hundred seven people developed mouth and throat cancer, 33,178 NMSC, 9611 prostate cancer, 9577 breast cancer, and 11,975 colorectal cancer during the follow-up period (2010–2014). An increase in PM10 of 10 μg/m3 was associated with a 53% increase in relative risk (RR) of mouth and throat cancer and a 52% increase in RR of NMSC. Prostate and breast cancer were modestly associated with PM10 with an increase in RR of 23 and 19%, respectively. The associations with N02 were in the same direction as PM10 but the effect estimates were much lower (7–24%). A 10% increase in NDVI was most protective of mouth and throat cancer (− 11% RR) and of NMSC (− 16% RR). Colorectal cancer was not affected by any of the exposures. Conclusions In addition to the studies carried out so far, this study was able to provide evidence that higher ambient AP levels increase the risk of mouth and throat cancer as well as of NMSC and that a higher residential green space level might have a protective effect for NMSC in areas with low to moderate UV intensity. Nevertheless, we cannot rule out residual confounding by socioeconomic or smoking status.