Lasse Johansson

Finnish Meteorological Institute · Air Quality Research

Air quality modeling plays a crucial role in understanding and predicting the dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere, aiding in the development of effective strategies for mitigating the adverse impacts of air pollution. Traditional air quality modeling commonly relies on deterministic models that simulate pollutant transport, and dispersion ba...

A novel Machine Learning (ML) approach is proposed to assist the dispersion modelling of road dust in an urban area. The aim is to improve ENFUSER model's coarse particle nowcasting estimations, especially during the road dust period in springtime. We assist the dispersion model by combining road condition measurements, regional-scale air quality f...

We presented a prototype of an operative air quality modelling system for Helsinki region that utilizes measurement data of variable quality (stations and sensors). The system continuously taps into various sources of real-time activity data to support the modelling. Being an updated version of FMI-Enfuser and developed during UIA-HOPE project we r...

This paper reports trends in the input of underwater noise source energy emission from global shipping, based on bottom-up modeling of individual ships. In terms of energy, we predict the doubling of global shipping noise emissions every 11.5 years, on average, but there are large regional differences. Shipping noise emissions increase rapidly in A...

An operational urban air quality modelling system ENFUSER is presented with an evaluation against measured data. ENFUSER combines several dispersion modelling approaches, uses data assimilation, and continuously extracts information from online, global open-access sources. The modelling area is described with a combination of geographic datasets. T...

As evidence of adverse health effects due to air pollution continues to increase, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently published its latest edition of the global air quality guidelines (World Health Organization, 2021). Although not legally binding, the guidelines aim to provide a framework in which policymakers can combat air pollution by...

Major sources of pollution from shipping to marine environments are antifouling paint residues and discharges of bilge, black, grey and ballast water and scrubber discharge water. The dispersion of copper, zinc, naphthalene, pyrene, and dibromochloromethane have been studied using the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model, the General Estuarine Tr...

As the evidence for the adverse health effects of air pollution continues to increase, World Health Organization (WHO) recently published its latest edition of the Global Air Quality Guidelines. Although not legally binding, the guidelines aim to provide a framework in which policymakers can combat air pollution by formulating evidence-based air qu...

Giordan Lighthouse, located on the island of Gozo in the Malta-Sicily Channel within the central Mediterranean region, is ideally located to study the primary sources of atmospheric pollution. A total of 10 years of data have been accumulated from the reactive gas and greenhouse gas detectors and the aerosol analyzers found at this Global Atmospher...

This paper describes the new developments of the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM) which enable the modelling of pollutant discharges to water from ships. These include nutrients from black/grey water discharges as well as from food waste. Further, the modelling of contaminants in ballast, black, grey and scrubber water, bilge discharg...

Shipping is the main source of anthropogenic particle emissions in large areas of the globe, influencing climate, air quality, and human health in open seas and coast lines. Here, we determined, by laboratory and on-board measurements of ship engine exhaust, fuel-specific particle number (PN) emissions for different fuels and desulfurization applie...

This paper describes the new developments of the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM) which enable modeling of pollutant discharges to water from ships. These include nutrients from black/grey water discharges as well as from food waste. Further, also the modeling of contaminants in ballast, black, grey and scrubber water, bilge discharge...

The activities and emissions from leisure boats in the Baltic Sea have been modeled in a comprehensive approach for the first time, using a new simulation model leisure Boat Emissions and Activities siMulator (BEAM). The model utilizes survey data to characterize the national leisure boat fleets. Leisure boats have been categorized based on their s...

Shipping is an important source of air pollutants, from the global to the local scale. Ships emit substantial amounts of sulfur dioxides, nitrogen dioxides, and particulate matter in the vicinity of coasts, threatening the health of the coastal population, especially in harbour cities. Reductions in emissions due to shipping have been targeted by s...

Ship emissions in and around ports are of interest for urban air quality management in many harbour cities. We investigated the impact of regional and local ship emissions on urban air quality for 2012 conditions in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, the largest cargo port in Scandinavia. In order to assess the effects of ship emissions, a coupled reg...

Abstract. Shipping is an important source of air pollutants, from the global to the local scale. Ships are emitting substantial amounts of sulphur dioxides, nitrogen dioxides and particulate matter in the vicinity of coasts, threatening the health of the coastal population, especially in harbour cities. Reductions of emissions due to shipping have...

Discharge of grey water from ships is today unregulated in most sea areas, including the Baltic Sea. Annually, an estimated 5.5 million m³ grey water is emitted to the Baltic Sea with largest contribution from RoPax (4.25 million m³) and cruise ships (0.65 million m³). In total 44 different contaminants in grey water was identified and sorted into...

Abstract. Ship emissions in and around ports are of interest for urban air quality management in many harbour cities. We investigated the impact of regional and local ship emissions on urban air quality for 2012-year conditions in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, the largest cargo port in Scandinavia. In order to assess the effects of ship emissions...

Abstract. The activities and emissions from leisure boats at the Baltic Sea have been modelled in a comprehensive approach for the first time, using a new simulation model leisure boat emissions and activities simulator (BEAM). The model utilizes survey data to characterize the national leisure boat fleets. Leisure boats have been categorized based...

Commercial shipping fleet and its emissions can be modeled in detail, but the emission from leisure craft are often invisible for activity based, bottom-up emission inventories. A new model (FMI-BEAM) describes the emissions from the leisure craft fleet in the Baltic Sea area, complementing the existing STEAM emission modeling suite. BEAM combines...

Emissions of most land-based air pollutants in western Europe have decreased in the last decades. Over the same period emissions from shipping have also decreased, but with large differences depending on species and sea area. At sea, sulfur emissions in the SECAs (Sulphur Emission Control Areas) have decreased following the implementation of a 0.1...

Ship emissions in ports can have a significant impact on local air quality (AQ), population exposure and therefore human health in harbour cities. We determined the impact of shipping emissions in harbours on local AQ and population exposure in the Baltic Sea harbour cities Rostock (Germany), Riga (Latvia) and the urban agglomeration of Gdańsk–Gdyn...

The Baltic Sea is a highly frequented shipping area with busy shipping lanes close to densely populated regions. Exhaust emissions from ship traffic into the atmosphere do not only enhance air pollution, they also affect the Baltic Sea environment through acidification and eutrophication of marine waters and surrounding terrestrial ecosystems. As p...

The Baltic Sea is a severely eutrophicated sea-area where intense shipping as an additional nutrient source is a potential contributor to changes in the ecosystem. The impact of the two most important shipborne nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, on the overall nutrient-phytoplankton-oxygen dynamics in the Baltic Sea was determined by using the cou...

Emissions of most land based air pollutants in western Europe have decreased in the last decades. Over the same period emissions from shipping have also decreased, but with large differences depending on species and sea area. At sea, sulphur emissions in the SECAs (Sulphur Emission Control Areas) have decreased following the implementation of a 0.1...

Air pollution due to shipping is a serious concern for coastal regions in Europe. Shipping emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in air over the Baltic Sea are of similar magnitude (330 ktyr-1) as the combined land-based NOx emissions from Finland and Sweden in all emission sectors. Deposition of nitrogen compounds originating from shipping activities...

The Baltic Sea is highly frequented shipping area with busy shipping lanes close to densely populated regions. Exhaust emissions from ship traffic into the atmosphere are not only enhancing air pollution, they also affect the Baltic Sea environment through acidification and eutrophication of marine waters and surrounding terrestrial ecosystems. As...

In this paper, a methodology is presented for modelling underwater noise emissions from ships based on realistic vessel activity in the Baltic Sea region. This paper combines the Wittekind noise source model with the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM) in order to produce regular updates for underwater noise from ships. This approach all...

Air pollution due to shipping is a serious concern for coastal regions in Europe. Shipping emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) to air on the Baltic Sea are of similar magnitude (330kty−1) as the combined land-based NOx emissions from Finland and Sweden in all emission sectors. Deposition of nitrogen compounds originating from shipping activities con...

Material flow analysis is used to identify and quantify the flow of phosphorus (P) in ship-generated food waste and wastewater. Passenger, cruise, RoPax and cargo ships in the Baltic Sea were investigated in three scenarios: (1) if all waste is discharged to sea, (2) if all waste is disposed of ashore or (3) if the food waste fraction is disposed o...

In this paper, a methodology is presented for modeling underwater noise emissions from ships based on realistic vessel activity in the Baltic Sea area. This paper combines the Wittekind noise source model with the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM) in order to produce regular updates for underwater noise from ships. This approach allows...

We evaluate public health and climate impacts of low-sulphur fuels in global shipping. Using high-resolution emissions inventories, integrated atmospheric models, and health risk functions, we assess ship-related PM2.5 pollution impacts in 2020 with and without the use of low-sulphur fuels. Cleaner marine fuels will reduce ship-related premature mo...

Environmental concentrations and effects of bilge water contaminants in two Baltic Sea areas were estimated from modelling of discharge rates and analytical data on bilge water from seven ships. Biodegradation of bilge water oil was accounted for and annual water concentrations were estimated to peak in late spring, which coincides with the beginni...

Estimates of the noise source spectra of ships based on long term measurements in the Baltic sea are presented. The measurement data were obtained by a hydrophone deployed near a major shipping lane south of the island Öland. Data from over 2,000 close-by passages were recorded during a 3 month period from October to December 2014. For each passage...

Vessel operations at port play a particular role in port-related air emissions. Hotelling, manoeuvring and cruising operations in the harbour areas generate a large share of local and global pollution, external costs and public health issues. Emission abatement demands effective regulation for vessel compliance and enforcement adequacy in despite o...

The maximum allowable fuel sulphur content for shipping in the Baltic Sea dropped from 1%S to 0.1%S in 1 January 2015. We provide a cost-benefit analysis of the sulphur reduction policy in the Baltic Sea Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA). We calculated the abatement costs based on shipowners' optimal decision-making in choosing between low-sulph...

In this study, we quantify the impacts of shipping pollution on air quality and shortwave radiative effect in northern Norway, using WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting with chemistry) simulations combined with high-resolution, real-time STEAM2 (Ship Traffic Emissions Assessment Model version 2) shipping emissions. STEAM2 emissions are evalu...

Emissions originating from ship traffic in European sea areas were modelled using the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM), which uses Automatic Identification System data to describe ship traffic activity. We have estimated the emissions from ship traffic in the whole of Europe in 2011. We report the emission totals, the seasonal variati...

Data on observed and forecasted environmental conditions, such as weather, air quality and pollen, are offered in a great variety in the web and serve as basis for decisions taken by a wide range of the population. However, the value of these data is limited because their quality varies largely and because the burden of their interpretation in the...

In this study, we quantify the impacts of shipping pollution on air quality and shortwave radiative effect in northern Norway, using WRF-Chem simulations combined with high resolution, real-time STEAM2 shipping emissions. STEAM2 emissions are evaluated using airborne measurements from the ACCESS campaign, which was conducted in summer 2012, in two...

A novel FMI-ENFUSER model is presented, an application which utilizes both Land Use Regression and dispersion modelling. We will show that with this combination of techniques the hourly concentration of particle matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and NO2 can be accurately predicted in the selected urban test site, when wind vector data and nearby pollutant me...

Emission factors of SO2, NOx and size-distributed particle numbers were measured for approximately 300 different ships in the Gulf of Finland and Neva Bay area during two campaigns in August/September 2011 and June/July 2012. The measurements were carried out from a harbor vessel and from an Mi-8 helicopter downwind of passing ships. Other measurem...

Emissions originated from ship traffic in European sea areas were modelled using the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM), which uses Automatic Identification System data to describe ship traffic activity. We have estimated the emissions from ship traffic in the whole of Europe in 2011. We report the emission totals, the seasonal variatio...

There is a large amount of meteorological and air quality data available online. Often, different sources provide deviating and even contradicting data for the same geographical area and time. This implies that users need to evaluate the relative reliability of the information and then trust one of the sources. We present a novel data fusion method...

Land-based emissions of air pollutants in Europe have steadily decreased over the past two decades, and this decrease is expected to continue. Within the same time span emissions from shipping have increased in EU ports and in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, defined as SECAs (sulfur emission control areas), although recently sulfur emissions, and...

Environmental and meteorological conditions are of utmost importance for the population, as they are strongly related to the quality of life. Citizens are increasingly aware of this importance. This awareness results in an increasing demand for environmental information tailored to their specific needs and background. We present an environmental in...

Land-based emissions of air pollutants in Europe have steadily decreased over the past two decades, and this decrease is expected to continue. Within the same time span emissions from shipping have increased in EU ports and in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, defined as SECAs (sulfur emission control areas), although recently sulfur emissions, and...

Satellite-based data are very important for air-quality applications in the Baltic Sea region, because they provide information on air pollution over the sea and where ground-based and aircraft measurements are not available. Both the emissions from urban sites over land and ships over sea, contribute to tropospheric NO2 levels. Tropospheric NO2 mo...

Foreword by the Secretary-General,Mr Koji Sekimizu In recognition of the magnitude of the climate change challenge and the importance of global action to address it, we, at IMO , for some time now, have been energetically pursuing the development and implementation of measures to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping....

The PESCaDO system (Personal Environmental Service Configuration and Delivery Orchestration) aims at providing accurate and timely information about local air quality and weather conditions in Europe. The system receives environment related queries from end users, discovers reliable environmental multimedia data in the web from different providers...

Satellite-based data are very important for air-quality applications in the Baltic Sea region, because they provide information on air pollution over the sea and where ground-based and aircraft measurements are not available. Both the emissions from urban sites over land and ships over sea, contribute to tropospheric NO2 levels. Tropospheric NO2 mo...

An extensive inventory of marine exhaust emissions is presented in the northern European emission control area (ECA) in 2009 and 2011. The emissions of SOx, NOx, CO2, CO and PM2.5 were evaluated using the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM). We have combined the information on individual vessel characteristics and position reports genera...

We modeled the projections of the major atmospheric emissions from shipping of the European sulphur emission control area that includes the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the English Channel until 2040. Emission projections were calculated separately for every ship on annual basis, and the model took into account traffic growth, fleet renewal, and...

An extensive inventory of marine exhaust emissions is presented in the northern European emission control area (ECA) in 2009 and 2011. The emissions of SOx, NOx, CO2, CO and PM2.5 were evaluated using the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEAM). We have combined the information on individual vessel characteristics and position reports genera...

Transit shipping through the Arctic via the Northern Sea Route, along the northern coast of Scandinavia and Russia, is already occurring. In addition, Arctic oil/ gas extraction is being explored due to large oil and gas reserves under the Arctic Ocean. In the future, development of these anthropogenic activities will increase emissions of air poll...

This study addresses the exhaust emissions of CO2, NOx , SOx , CO, and PM2.5 originated from Baltic Sea shipping in 2006–2009. Numerical results have been computed using the Ship Traffic Emissions Assessment Model. This model is based on the messages of the automatic identification system (AIS), which enable the positioning of ships with a high spa...

Citizens are increasingly aware of the influence of environmental and meteorological conditions on the quality of their life. Thus, there has been a growing demand for personalized information about air quality and weather, i.e., information that is tailored to citizens' specific context and background. A recent poll showed that in almost all EU me...

Environmental and meteorological conditions are of utmost importance for the population, as they are strongly related to the quality of life. Citizens are increasingly aware of this importance. This awareness results in an increasing demand for environmental information tailored to their specific needs and background. We present an environmental in...

Ship emissions contribute substantially to air pollution. The Bosphorus, as one of the busiest straits in the world, has been influenced by the emissions of marine traffic. However, one of the main uncertainties in air quality assessments for coastal areas is ship emission inventories. In this study, the Ship Traffic Emission Assessment Model (STEA...

A method is presented for the evaluation of the exhaust emissions of marine traffic, based on the messages provided by the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which enable the positioning of ship emissions with a high spatial resolution (typically a few tens of metres). The model also takes into account the detailed technical data of each indivi...

A method is presented for the evaluation of the exhaust emissions of marine traffic, based on the messages provided by the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which enable the positioning of ship emissions with a high spatial resolution (typically a few metres). The model also takes into account the detailed technical data of each individual ves...

The PESCaDO project (http://www.pescado-project.eu/) aims at providing tailored environmental information to EU citizens. For this purpose, PESCaDO delivers personalized environmental information, based on coordinating the data flow from multiple sources. After the necessary discovery, indexing and parsing of those sources, the harmonization and re...