title: Environmental and health benefits from designating the Marmara Sea and the Turkish Straits as an emission control area (ECA).
abstract: Ship emissions degrade air quality and affect human health, and are increasingly becoming a matter of concern. Sulfur emission control areas (ECA), specific coastal regions where only low-sulfur fuels may be consumed by ocean-going ships, have proven to be useful tools to reduce ship-sourced air pollution along the North American, Canadian, and European North and Baltic Sea coastlines. The present work assesses the environmental and health benefits which would derive from designating an ECA in the Marmara Sea and the Turkish Straits (50 000 ships/year; 23 million inhabitants). Results show evidence that implementing an ECA would be technically viable and that it would reduce ship-sourced PM10 and PM2.5 ambient concentrations in Istanbul by 67%, and SO2 by 90%. The reduction of the air pollution burden on health was quantified as 210 hospital admissions from exposure to PM10, 290 hospital admissions from exposure to SO2, and up to 30 premature deaths annually due to ECA emission controls. Consequently, the designation of an ECA in the Marmara Sea and the Turkish Straits is evaluated as a positive, technically viable and real-world measure to reduce air pollution from ships in Turkey.
authors.affiliation: †Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.affiliation: ‡Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20004, United States.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fann
authors.affiliation: †Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tobías
authors.affiliation: †Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Querol
authors.affiliation: §Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), E-08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rojas-Rueda
authors.affiliation: ∥School of Physics, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plaza
authors.affiliation: ⊥General Directorate for Safety, Pollution and Maritime Inspection, 28071 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aynos
authors.affiliation: #General Directorate for Maritime Affaires, 38180 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Conde
authors.affiliation: #General Directorate for Maritime Affaires, 38180 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: ¶FIIAPP, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D012767:Ships; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D014421:Turkey; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide