Motor vehicles emit 14 times more agents than industrial facilities

Motor vehicles are also the biggest source of suspended particulate matter and noise pollution. However, the total amount of exhaust depends not only on the number of vehicles but also on the road network management in the city. Traffic congestion is one of the most acute transportation and environmental issues in megacities. Obviously, the most polluted air is near road interchanges with heavy traffic or during peak hours when the concentration of air pollutants increases. The situation may get worse, for example, in summer, when chemical reactions intensify under high temperatures and solar radiation. Drivers are subject to the greatest risk, especially in vehicles with no air conditioning.

In 2015, EU countries adopted a new exhaust emissions standard for passenger cars, Euro-6. The changes, however, only concern diesel vehicles in order to significantly reduce hydrocarbon (HC) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Gasoline car restrictions under Euro-6 are the same as with Euro-5. Therefore, in Moscow, where 90% of passenger cars run on gasoline, the exhaust emissions do not exceed the set limits.

Moscow, which introduced Euro-5 standard six months ahead of the rest of the country, is a good example of reducing harmful emissions by using eco-friendly fuel.

Today, the problem is not so much the fuel, as the number of vehicles and the total amount of exhaust emissions. The number of cars in Moscow keeps growing.

City residents are mostly concerned with industrial facilities, which are, however, an integral part of the urban environment.

Some industrial facilities cannot be moved outside the city as they are essential for city life. These include facilities producing and distributing electricity, gas and water. Moscow has over 2,000 such facilities as of 2016.

Combined heat and power (CHP) plants in Moscow account for one-third of all industrial emissions (22,655 metric tons), but even this amount is on average 70% lower than the upper limit. All 11 CHP plants in the city operate on natural gas, the cleanest organic fuel.

Other types of industrial facilities often located in cities include oil processing plants.They often end up within city limits as a result of incorporation of new territories. For example, on the outskirts of Vienna, an oil refinery is located near a residential area. In Moscow, an oil refinery is located in the former Kapotnya village, which was included in the city area in 1960. Aside from the history factor, the location of industrial facilities is often based on logistics. In Rotterdam, a group of oil processing companies is located at the city port, one of the largest in Europe. In the mid-1930s, Moscow had a severe shortage of motor fuel and bitumen. In the summer of 1936, construction of the Moscow cracking plant began. The first cracking unit was launched in less than two years, on April 1, 1938. When WWII began, the plant became a strategic facility. The Nazis targeted the plant along with the Kremlin and the Lenin Mausoleum. In 2011, when Gazprom Neft took over the plant, a large-scale upgrade began. The goal is to transform the plant into Europe’s most technologically advanced and greenest oil refinery.

Moscow Refinery is an important part of the urban infrastructure. The plant produces almost 5 mln metric tons of fuel every year and provides it to major oil terminals and Moscow airports. The fuel is delivered through Transneft pipelines. Gas tankers would have to make almost 2,000 trips daily to deliver the same amount of fuel from other regions. This would mean an additional burden for roads and more emissions. Moscow Refinery is constantly working on reducing environmental impact by implementing modern control and refining technology.

Poplar is the champion of air cleaning. Its wide and gluey leaves trap dust and filter the air. Another low-maintenance tree, the maple, is also very helpful in the urban environment. A full-grown tree can clear 20 cubic meters of air per year. Other good absorbents include hedge rose, lilac, acacia and Chinese elm. These plants can survive in high concentrations of suspended particles.

Based on construction rules and regulations, parkland space in Moscow must be at least 40% of the total city area. The amount of greenery is not as important as its even distribution across the city, which is a task for environmental services.

Trees and shrubs produce oxygen essential for human life. Moscow’s largest "producer" of O2 is Losiny Ostrov National Park, one-fourth of which cuts into the city territory. Vegetation helps maintain the required humidity level, as a lot of liquid evaporates from tree leaves, while branches create shade and maintain soil moisture. Trees and shrubs also ensure safety of residential neighborhoods by creating a shield around industrial facilities.