 |  | Project-related Consulting Particulate Matter, Stuttgart |
Fine Dust Binder To Be Applied to Stuttgart’s “Neckartor”-quarter Next Week
Trial on the particulate matter-binding effect of a special agent likely by the beginning of March 2010
On 12 January, Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden-Württemberg, will start a trial to combat particulate matter with calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), assisted by the Baden-Württemberg Regional Office for Environment, Measurement and Conservation (LUBW). The experiment on the B 14 is expected to last until the end of February or beginning of March 2010.
CMA is a solution of calcium and magnesium acetate in water. It is an environmentally friendly de-icing agent in winter and its molecular structure also makes it suitable for binding particulate matter. The swirling of particulate matter can be reduced if the solution is deployed on the road every 2 days. This was demonstrated in the first preliminary field tests in Stockholm, Klagenfurt and Halle. The effect of this method has so far not been proven for Stuttgart, hence the trial.
The extensive preparations and the trial itself were carried out by the Department of Urban Development and the Environment and the owner-operated enterprise Waste Management Stuttgart (AWS), with active support from the LUBW.
During the specified period, the AWS applies the CMA to the entire B14 (section between the ADAC office on Am Neckartor and the Heinrich-Baumann footbridge above the Cannstatter Strasse) every 48 hours before the morning rush-hour traffic.
CMA has a slightly vinegary odour, which can be perceived by residents, motorists and pedestrians. This odour does not pose any health risks. CMA does not cause any corrosion damage to vehicles. Motorists in the testing area must be prepared for wet or damp road conditions.
During the testing phase, the LUBW will determine the amount of PM10 reduction by comparing it with the results recorded at other measurement stations in the area of severely polluted roads in Stuttgart. After the trial has finished, information about the results will be published and a decision will be made about the suitability of CMA for reducing particulate matter on other Stuttgart roads.
The CMA product being used is 
ICE & DUST-AWAY, which is being provided free of charge for the trial by NORDISK ALUMINAT A/S. RAW Handel und Beratungs GmbH is supporting the Stuttgart project and has been responsible for particulate matter reduction on NORDISK ALUMINAT A/S’s behalf as part of project-related consultation in Germany for several years.
Immission measurements on highly polluted sections of road in Stuttgart have shown that immission limit values for the airborne pollutants particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are still being exceeded.
All affected roads in Stuttgart are characterised by high traffic density. For the most part, high-density housing and construction adds significantly to this. A large proportion of particulate matter comes from exhaust emissions and the constant swirling of dust particles that have settled on the roads.
If there is a risk of the legally stipulated daily average for particulate matter PM10 of 50 µg/m³ being exceeded more than 35 times in the calendar year, an action plan should be established in accordance with Section 47, Article 2 of the Federal Ambient Pollution Control Act.
Measures should be specified in the action plan that must be suitable for reducing the risk of exceeding the average or shortening the time that the average is exceeded. In Baden-Württemberg, the district presidents are responsible for establishing action plans. The rural and urban districts are responsible for implementing the measures contained in action plans.
Stuttgart has had an action plan since 2006. It is currently being updated by the district president. Among the previous measures are the establishment of the Stuttgart Environmental Zone with a ban on vehicles in Pollutant Category 1 and a ban on lorries in Stuttgart that lasted until February 2008.
As an experiment, the most severely polluted area in Stuttgart, am Neckator, was subjected to regular wide-ranging wet cleaning in the 2006/2007 winter term. The aim of this measure was reduction of the particulate matter caused by swirling. Trials of this nature – in other cities too (such as Berlin and Bremen) – have shown that this measure does not result in lasting improvement of the particulate matter situation.
More effective measures must be sought. Both the state of Baden-Württemberg and the state capital Stuttgart take this task very seriously. The previously temporary lorry ban is to be reintroduced from 1 March 2010. The conditions for driving into the Environmental Zone will be tightened with the ban on the red sticker from 1 July 2010.
Press release: First test phase of the Action Plan Stuttgart has been completed
1. Public Announcement, Updating of the Action Plan Stuttgart
2. Air Pollution Plan/Action Plan for the Administartive District of Stuttgart
Badische Zeitung: Interview about CMA
ICE & DUST-AWAY Facts and Arguments
ICE & DUST-AWAY Questions and Answers
ICE & DUST-AWAY, Safety Data Sheet
A binder against particulate matter (Southwest Broadcasting)
Trial Run on am Neckartor in Stuttgart with the CMA Solution ICE & DUST-AWAY
Video: Stuttgart Battles Particulate Matter with Binder Solution (For information, please contact RAW)
This is how CMA works (Southwest Broadcasting)
Audio: How does ICE & DUST-AWAY work? (For information, please contact RAW)
Start of the trial to combat particulate matter
Audio: Prelude to Trial with CMA Solution (For information, please contact RAW)
Stuttgart Clean Air Plan
The Clean Air/Action Plan for State Capital Stuttgart
Environmental Zones in Germany
The Number of Environmental Zones in Germany is Clearly Increasing