| • Traffic and industry
The industries in the Besòs area have largely been replaced by service
companies, producing a marked drop in atmospheric emissions for the whole area
Private traffic is the main producer of pollution in the Barcelona Region.
The number of private vehicles on the road grows every year. Although older
vehicles are being replaced by newer, less polluting ones, the increase in the
number of cars on the road has more than offset cleaner combustion. The building
of ring roads has increased the use of private vehicles.
• Gas-fired heating systems also cause air pollution
• Illegal burning of industrial materials (tyres, for example)
which is currently done almost anywhere in the area.
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• The main environmental problems associated with air emissions are harm to
human health, the acidification and eutrophication of water and soils, and
damage to natural ecosystems, buildings and crops.
• Barcelona, summer period: It is estimated that over 66% of the population
are affected by ozone levels in excess of 180ug/m3, and that over 66% of the
population have been exposed to maximum NO2 levels in excess of 200 um/m3. These
figures are above the recommended WHO levels.
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