Final Report - Air Pollution from Mobile Sources

Air Pollution from Mobile Sources

      The purpose of this paper is to review all available literature on the issue of air pollution coming from mobile sources, and in doing so, to present the dire situation of the air in Kosovo. The following report is organized based on the factors which make the transport sector a significant polluter of the air. Firstly, we present a brief introduction to the composition of the transport sector in Kosovo and the kinds of emissions resulting from it. Then the report continues with the most important factor which is the age of automobiles, arguing that the very old age of the automobiles in Kosovo makes them very inefficient. Further on, we analyze the issue of the low quality of the fuel imported to Kosovo which increases the emissions of harmful substances. Lastly, we also present the issue of lack of legal control which then enables mobile sources to circulate without catalytic converters.

Introduction 

     Several reports depict Kosovo as one of the most polluted areas in the whole of Europe and the quality of air is in particular a concerning issue. One of the sources contributing to the degradation of the quality of air is the large number of automobiles in Kosovo, and through this paper we give an exact picture of how and to what extent vehicles contribute towards the aforementioned tremendous pollution in the Republic of Kosovo. It is estimated that the transport sector, in particular privately owned vehicles, are one of the major contributors towards the degradation of the quality of air in Kosovo.

     The Kosovo Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (2011) lists vehicles as one of the major pollutants of the air in Kosovo, claiming that in the period after the war the number of vehicles has significantly increased, and although the number of old vehicles is steadily decreasing, the emissions from automobiles are still constantly increasing. Although the ministry accepts the fact that there is a lack of credible sources and accurate measurements of pollutants in Kosovo, it claims that it is generally accepted that the aforementioned factors contribute towards the degradation of the air quality in Kosovo. Air pollution caused by the transport sector, especially in the urban areas is very dangerous for the citizens of Kosovo according to the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (2011), since the sources of emissions are very close to the habituated areas, polluting the air and the whole environment.

      According to a recent article published in a daily newspaper Koha Ditore (2012), Kosovo is currently in a very bad situation regarding the environment, especially the air quality; it is placed in the lowest level according to European environmental standards (Koha Ditore, 2012).  Among the three main contributors to air pollution in Kosovo is also the transport sector.

     Further on, in another newspaper article, Selani (2012) also claims that the transport sector is among the major polluters of the air in Kosovo. Selani (2012) argues that for a small territory of approximately 11 thousand square kilometers, Kosovo is a highly polluted area. As a fifth polluter, Selani (2012) lists us citizens because “we drive around 300 thousand vehicles, and have around 1000 petrol stations – among which there are also those that sell fuels with 114 ppm more than European Standards allow,” (Selani, 2012, original quote translated from Albanian).

     Prior to elaborating on pollution caused by mobile sources, one should take a closer look at the specific number of those mobile sources. According to the Environmental Protection Agency in Kosovo, in the whole territory of Kosovo, according to data from 2010, there were in total 406,050 automobiles. On the other hand, another report claims that the total number of registered vehicles in Kosovo in 2009 was 379,273 (Baxhaku & Lajqi, 2010, p. 314). The table below shows the number of automobiles in Kosovo by type, according to Kosovo’s EPA:

Data on the number of vehicles in Kosovo for 2008

 (Data taken from the Environmental Protection Agency in Kosovo and translated from Albanian)

      From this table we can see that cars are dominant as compared to all the other types of vehicles, with the highest proportion from the total transport vehicles, meaning that the majority of transport is private. The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (2011) argues that air pollution resulting from automobiles in Kosovo is an important issue to be solved since its citizens continuously view private vehicles as the only solution to transport, whereas the portion of the public transportation is very low.

      UNDP also claims in its “Human Development Report” for 2007 that there is a trend toward continuous substitution of public transport for private transport, even for short journeys such as within the city. The increased use of private vehicles over public transport increases the density of vehicles which in most cases are old and fuel in-efficient, and further on contributes to air pollution which could significantly be reduced through a more efficient public transport sector. As reported by UNDP (2007) the number of vehicles per person in Kosovo is high. As it was observed during a study with the aim to find out the number of people per vehicle in Pristina, “in 53% of the cases, there was only the driver in the automobile, which represents an inefficient use of energy for travelling,” (UNDP, 2007, pg 47). The graph below shows the results of this observation: 

 (Source: UNDP, 2007, pg 47) 

     The increasing dominance of private, one-passenger vehicles in Kosovo as compared to the utilization of public transport is further on highlighted by another study conducted by Baxhaku & Lajqi (2010). Their study shows the following results presented graphically below:

(Source: Baxhaku & Lajqi, 2010, p. 315.)

     Their collected data is also presented in a pie chart, classifying the different categories of vehicles and their percentage participation in the total of the transport sector:

(Source: Baxhaku & Lajqi, 2010, p. 315.)

      Further on, another study by Buza & Duraku (2009) presents data collected on the proportion of private vs. public transportation. Their summarized data are presented on the table below:

(Source: Buza & Duraku, 2009, p. 12.)

     All of the above figures demonstrate a high proportion of passenger cars as compared to the public transport, meaning that there is an increased demand for private transport while there is a lack of demand for the public transport, a fact this which causes for a less efficient use of transporting vehicles, and as a result, an increased pollution from the transport sector. 

Emissions from Mobile Sources

     Emissions of pollutants to the air coming from the transport sector are of a wide variety. The table below shows the calculations of greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O) conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency in Kosovo during the years 2008-2009:

     In addition to the Environmental Protection Agency, a report of UNDP also highlights CO₂ emissions as a major pollutant of the air in Kosovo coming from the transport sector. As it reported in 2007, the vehicles in Kosovo, due to their inefficiency, produce 36% more CO2 emissions than they would have if there were a more efficient use of fuels, meaning that there is a 36% reduction in emissions foregone due to the inefficiency of vehicles (UNDP, 2007, pg 60).

     Moreover, another study by Baxhaku & Lajqi (2010) lists the transport sector as one of the major sectors contributing to air pollution, especially with CO emissions. The authors of this report have analyzed emissions according to their source and the category of the motor vehicles. Their findings are presented in the graphs below:

Source: (Baxhaku, B& S Lajqi, 2010, p. 314)

     Further on, another pollutant that vehicles emit to the air is Particulate Matter (PM). The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (2011) reports that the presence of PM in the air in Kosovo is also caused by the transport sector due to the inefficiency of the vehicles.

      Moreover, the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (2011) analyzes pollution with benzene coming from vehicles in Kosovo. Although it explicitly states that accurate measurements of the concentration of benzene in Kosovo have not been made, based on assumptions and estimations it is believed that the presence of benzene in some areas is at its borderline values. It also claims that the effect of PM, NO₂, and benzene emissions are particularly high due to the low distance between automobiles.

     In addition to the emission of harmful gases directly by the mobile sources, another way in which automobiles contribute to increased air pollution in Kosovo is with dust, since many roads in Kosovo are yet not paved (Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, 2011).

     While 95% of the transport in Kosovo is concentrated in road transport, the infrastructure in Kosovo is in a very poor condition “with insufficient road maintenance, rehabilitation and development,” (Buza & Duraku, 2009, p. 4). One of the major factors that have resulted in this poor infrastructure in Kosovo is the lack of maintenance and new investments on the streets of Kosovo, which were already damaged due to the war. As a result, the current infrastructure does not support the continuously increasing volume of transport in Kosovo, and being in bad conditions, the streets in Kosovo, some of which are still not even paved, enable the transport sector to pollute the air even more with the dust coming from these unpaved roads. According to the conclusion reached by Buza & Duraku (2009), in their studies, around 90% of the local roads are unpaved, meaning that pollution with dust in these roads is unavoidable. Buza & Duraku (2009) also present their findings for the conditions of the roads in Kosovo graphically, as presented below: 

(Source: Buza & Duraku, 2009, p. 16. )

     According to these data, Buza & Duraku (2009) conclude by claiming that Kosovo lags behind the region areas regarding the road conditions.  

The Age of the Vehicles in Circulation

     According to an article published in 2011 by LexoShqip, the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Kosovo discussed the possibility of allowing the import of vehicles older than 8 years in Kosovo (Lexoshqip, 2011). According to the Minister, Bedri Hamza, at that time, it was done with the purpose of increasing the security in traffic. Although the article argues that in fact such a decision would further decrease the security in traffic because while the rest of the developed world in fact bans old automobiles, Kosovo encourages such imports. However, the issue is not only the safety of the citizens in traffic, there are other concerns regarding these imported old automobiles, such as environmental impacts. According to the environmental expert, Shyqri Dumani, as he claimed at that time, such a decision would further increase air pollution in Kosovo which was already at a bad state. According to Dumani, 40% of air pollution in Kosovo is caused by these old vehicles because they have higher emissions of dangerous substances as compared to the new ones.

     The issue of old automobiles overcrowding the streets of Kosovo is also addressed in an article in Gazeta Express (2012).  This article also argues that the very old automobiles found everywhere in the place not only create a turmoil, but they also contribute to the further degradation of the air quality in Kosovo which is already polluted enough (Gazeta Express, 2012). With the substances that they leave behind, they pollute the air and make the environment even more dangerous for the citizens of Kosovo. According to this article, it is estimated that there are around 350 thousand automobiles in Kosovo, where the majority of them are old vehicles. The argument that these old vehicles contribute even more to air pollution in Kosovo is further on supported by this article which states that these old vehicles emit higher volumes of cancerous substances into the air, as compared to the new vehicles.

     Dumani, who is also cited in this article of Gazeta Expres (2012), further on argues why old automobiles are a greater source of pollution as compared to the new ones (Gazeta Express, 2012). According to him, these old automobiles release much more toxic substances because they do not complete the fuel combustion. When the combustion is not completed, more toxic substances are released. The new automobiles, on the other hand, complete the combustion process within the engine and hence the age of the vehicles is an important factor determining air pollution.

     The issue of old vehicles being imported a lot in Kosovo and being used is also highlighted by an article in another daily newspaper Kosova Sot (2011). This article highlights the harsh objection of environmentalists in Kosovo toward the government’s decision to allow imports of vehicles older than 8 years. The article cites the Head of the Ecologic Party in Kosovo, Arif Krasniqi, whom states that his group of environmentalists strongly disagrees with the government’s decision since the import of old vehicles into Kosovo and their permission to be used for transport highly damages the environment in Kosovo, especially the air. Further on, he argues that while the rest of the Western and civilized world has taken these automobiles out of utilization due to their bad impacts on the pollution of air, Kosovo continuously accepts them, consequently causing increasing air pollution.

     Accordingly, the import of vehicles older than 8 years to Kosovo has become a serious issue for the safety of its citizens and the quality of its air since from the government’s decision to encourage such imports the number of old vehicles entering Kosovo has increased (Epoka e Re, 2011). As the issue of increased imports is highlighted in another article in a daily newspaper Epoka e Re (2011), the spokesperson of the customs of Kosovo is cited, stating that after the decision from the government was made, only in July and August, more than 4 thousand old vehicles were imported, a fact this which means this government decision simply led to more air pollution since these old vehicles are in worse states than new ones and pose greater threats to the environment as compared to newer ones.

     Further on, the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (2011) also states in its Strategic and Action Plan for Air Quality Draft, that the transport sector is characterized by a large number of old vehicles which is contributing further towards the degradation of the air quality in Kosovo. It also claims that many automobiles in Kosovo are over 20 years old (Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, 2011). 

     UNDP further on claims on a report for human development in Kosovo, that “it was found that many people were not fully aware of the problems of fuel quality, and that most privately owned vehicles were old and fuel-inefficient” (UNDP, 2007, pg 9). Although UNDP did not directly collect data on the age of the vehicles of the households it surveyed, it did ask for their estimations of the value of their vehicles. The majority of the vehicles were valued under €2,000 (approximately $3,000). This low value implies that the age of the cars in the sample must have been quite old. The table below shows the summarized data collected from the household surveys: 
 (Source: UNDP, 2007, pg 46)

     The old age of the vehicles also makes them fuel inefficient. One supportive result demonstrates that “in Europe generally, there is evidence that fuel consumption in vehicles registered after 1999 was around 5 percent lower than those registered between 1997 and 1999. Vehicles registered after 2005 consume even 7 percent less than those from the same period” (UNDP, 2007, pg 46).

     Further on, another study conducted by Baxhaku & Lajqi (2010) highlights the old age of the vehicles in circulation in the streets of Kosovo. Their research about the age of the vehicles is summarized in the graph below which shows the average age of motor vehicles according to their category:

  
 (Source: Baxhaku & Lajqi., 2010, p. 315)

     The above figure supports the claim that the majority of vehicles in Kosovo are of a very old age. As it can be noted by the above figure, the majority of the vehicles of any type are at least above 15 years of age, with the highest being buses at an average of 20.68 years old. Considering their very old age, the emissions caused by these vehicles are deemed to be high and dangerous for the environment.

     The personal picture below, taken in Pristina, shows not only the turmoil vehicles create but also the high density of vehicles in Pristina, particularly, which overcrowd its streets: 

(Photo taken on October 2012, Prishtina, by Herolinda Zenuni and used with her permission):

The Quality of the Fuel Imported to Kosovo

     Another issue regarding the pollution caused by mobiles sources is the quality of fuel imported to Kosovo, since it is argued that this quality is very low. Hence, this increases the emissions of harmful substances to the air. As stated in a recent article published in the daily newspaper Koha Ditore (2012), the citizens of Kosovo are constantly posed to high risks due to high air pollution which is caused by the gas emissions from the automobiles in the place. Based on reports provided to this newspaper, the latest research on the fuel imported in Kosovo (conducted with the latest technology) concludes that the fuel sold in most of the selling points in Kosovo contains up to 1142 ppm, an amount of sulfur this which is 114 times higher than the amount approved of and allowed with the Administrative Guidelines of the Ministry of Trade.

      Further on, as the World Bank is cited in this article of Koha Ditore, around 1000 people per year in Kosovo die early due to the presence of pollutants in the air. It is believed that these pollutants cause heart diseases, lung cancer, and other respiratory diseases (Koha Ditore, 2012). According to the data retrieved from the Public Health Institute for this article, around 700.000 medical check-ups are conducted each year, where many of them are diagnosed with respiratory diseases. Among the factors that contribute to this is the presence of sulfur in the fuel imported to Kosovo.

      In addition, the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (2011) also claims in its Strategic and Action Plan for Air Quality Draft that apart from having old vehicles in the place, a further problem is the quality of fuel used in Kosovo which in most cases is very low. The table below shows the amount of fuels imported to Kosovo for 2009:

 
(Data taken from the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning and translated from Albanian).

       The problem with the quality of the fuels imported in Kosovo which further on leads to a deterioration of our air quality is also highlighted in UNDP’s report for human development in Kosovo, in which it claims that there is a problem with the quality of fuel in Kosovo, and in fact, most people are not even aware of it (UNDP, 2007). UNDP further on claims in its Human Development Report for 2007, that “exhaust emissions from the growing number of private vehicles, many of which use poor quality fuels, is adversely impacting on urban air quality” (UNDP, 2007, pg 8).

The Lack of Proper Legislation and Technical Control

     The quality of fuel imported to Kosovo and the pollution caused in general also have to do with lack of effective legislation. As a report by UNDP claims, policy makers are also worried about the quality of fuel the end users receive in Kosovo because there is a lack of control over the petrol stations. As it is explained in the UNDP report, after the war, “hundreds of petrol stations were opened in Kosovo, many of which operate as family owned microenterprises and are unlicensed,” (UNDP, 2007, pg 11). What this means is that these petrol stations do not have “an approved environmental permit, which required that an Environmental Impact Assessment be carried out,” (UNDP, 2007, pg 11). Due to this lack of regulation of petrol stations, the import of low quality fuel becomes not difficult and hence automobiles which are already old and inefficient, run on low quality fuel, making them even more harmful to the environment, especially the air which citizens of Kosovo breathe in (UNDP, 2007). Although the Ministry of Trade and Industry has been successful in closing down a few petrol stations operating illegally, it does not have the capacity to fully control the whole market and effectively enforce the regulations.

     According to UNDP, some progress is being made in the regulation of vehicles and their emissions since they are a serious concern. One of the first steps was taken in 2007, where “the ministry established stringent fuel quality standards and set up a quality testing laboratory, but it is too soon to assess the impact of these initiatives,” (UNDP, 2007, pg 12). Until substantial progress is seen, the regulation of vehicles and the fuel utilized remains a serious problem contributing toward the decline in the quality of the air in Kosovo.

     Further on, Baxhaku & Lajqi (2010) claim that Kosovo has only recently become a new state and does not yet possess effective and organized institutions which would be able to monitor the transport sector and the pollution being caused by this sector. As a result, they claim that the responsibility is being left on the hand of the public to take care of the environment and especially the air which they breathe since the institutions are not yet effective enough to do so.  

     On the other hand, a report from the National News Agency in Kosovo (2012) claims that from a legislative perspective, much of the legislation regarding the environment that has been approved by the government of Kosovo is aligned with European Union standards and directions; however, from an enforcement perspective, not much of this legislation is effectively enforced, resulting in no real benefits from it.

       As a result of lack of effective legislation, there is also a lack of legal control of the vehicles in circulation. This lack of regulation leaves the automobiles on the streets of Kosovo to circulate without the catalytic converters, resulting in more and more emissions of pollutants.

     The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (2011), claims that many automobiles in Kosovo lack the proper legal control and are in fact technically not as functional as they should be. Also, they lack the catalyst system.   

      UNDP further on claims on its Human Development Report for 2007, that due to the lack of regulation in Kosovo of emissions from vehicles, “the fuel consumption in Kosovo is likely to be even higher than average fuel consumption for similar vehicle types and ages elsewhere in Europe” (UNDP, 2007, pg 46). In addition to this, “there are no required vehicle inspections in place (in accordance with EU standards) with regard to emission of gases,” (UNDP, 2007, pg 47). 

     Further on, according to the environmental expert, Shyqri Dumani, cited in a newspaper article, one of the major problems is that the measure of gas emissions is not included as a priority in the legal control of automobiles (Gazeta Express, 2012). According to Dumani, if the ministry of transport made this control mandatory, none of the automobiles would be allowed to circulate in the streets without the necessary catalizator, which would reduce air pollution by 40%.

Limitations to Research

*       *During our research we also had difficulties because of the lack of information on the transport sector in Kosovo. Baxhaku and Lajqi (2010) note that after the war, the data on the registered number of vehicles in Kosovo was not very accurate because there was a lack of data, as a result, the data accounted only for the vehicles managed by the Government of Kosovo.

     The lack of research on the transport sector is also noted by Buza and Duraku (2009), who highlight the fact that there are currently only three institutions which conduct at least some amount of research on the transport field in Kosovo, and they are: The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering – Department of Traffic, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the Chamber of Commerce of Kosovo (Buza & Duraku, 2009).

     “Kosovo has a poorly developed system of research in the field of transport, and minor research activity takes place only in the field road transport,” (Buza & Duraku, 2009, p. 10). This lack of research is accompanied by a minimal number of staff working in this research field, with only 12 members of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering working on this research, and only six of them holding a PhD degree. There is also “no evidence of research performed in transport field by public and private companies in Kosovo,” (Buza & Duraku, 2009, p. 10).

     Consequently, our report may lack accurate measurements of the amount of vehicles in Kosovo, or the actual amount of pollution they cause; however, the report contains the current available research on this field and the most accurate data up to date.

Conclusion

     Based on the above presented factors, air pollution coming from mobile sources in Kosovo is a concerning issue and it is as a result of several factors. The main factors causing the transport sector to be one of the most significant polluters of the air in Kosovo are: the fact that the majority of the automobiles in circulation in Kosovo are of a very old age, some even older than 20 years, a fact this which makes them very inefficient, leading to higher emissions of hazardous substances. Another factor contributing towards this pollution is the low quality of the fuel used by these already old and inefficient vehicles. Being at a low level of quality, the fuel imported to Kosovo contains in particular large amounts of harmful substances. Further on, the lack of effective legislation which then leads to a lack of technical control of automobiles also contributes to even more pollution. This is because there is no regulation of the petrol sellers, enabling them to sell low quality fuel, as well as the fact that there is no proper technical control, allowing vehicles to circulate around without catalytic converters. As a result, unless some action is taken to reduce any of these three factors, the air pollution in Kosovo remains at a dramatically high level. 

Reference List 

1.   Agjensioni per Mbrojtjen e Mjedisit te Kosoves, ( 2008). Emisionet në Ajër Sipas Sektorëve.  Retrieved from http://www.ammk-rks.net/repository/docs/Emisionet_ne_ajer.pdf
2.   Agjensioni per Mbrojtjen e Mjedisit te Kosoves. (n.d.). Ajri. Retrieved October 9, 2012, from http://www.ammk-rks.net/?page=1,21
3.   Baxhaku, B. I., & Lajqi, N. B. Ecology and Road Transport in Republic of Kosova. (2010). Retrieved November 4, 2012, from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCoQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmt.unze.ba%2Fzbornik%2FTMT2010%2F079-TMT10-166.pdf&ei=jFmWUPb5HNPO4QSN-oDoAw&usg=AFQjCNGJ5ArAnj9CFO4-W7tgxb0w7TbJeg
4.   Buza, S., & Duraku, R. (2009). National Background Report on Transport for Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244). Retrieved November 4, 2012, from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CEAQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwbc-inco.net%2Fattach%2FNationalBackgroundReportonTransportforKosovo-UNMIK.pdf&ei=o2OWUMPtCKHi4QSkyYG4Ag&usg=AFQjCNFTj1J5gUk60nMMHjrKUfbEO4zwYg
5.   Katalizatorët e ndotjes. (2012, April 3). Gazeta Express. Retrieved from http://lajme.shqiperia.com/lajme/artikull/iden/1046843250/titulli/Katalizatoret-e-ndotjes
6.   Kosova Kthehet ne Varreze Veturash te Vjetra. (2011, May 10). Retrieved October 10, 2012, from http://www.lexoshqip.com/archives/1736
7.   Kosova me mjedisin më të degraduar në Evropë. (2012, May 12). Koha Ditore. Retrieve from: http://www.kohaditore.com/?page=1,13,99158
8.   Kosovarë, urdhëroni vetura të vjetra! (2011, June 23). Koha Ditore. Retrieved fromhttp://www.koha.net/index.php?page=1,3,59785http://www.koha.net/index.php?page=1,3,59785
9.   Mbi shtatë milion euro nga veturat e vjetra! (2011, October 17). Telegrafi. Retrieved from http://www.telegrafi.com/ekonomi/mbi-shtate-milione-euro-nga-veturat-e-vjetra-46-9399.html

     10.  Ministria e Mjedisit dhe Planifikimit Hapesinore (2011). Strategjia dhe Plani i Veprimit për Cilësinë e Ajrit. Republika e Kosoves, Departamenti i Mjedisit. Retrieved from http://www.gapmonitor.org/data/Image/CilsiaAjrit.pdf

     11.  Mjedisi në Kosovë në nivelin më të ulët në Europë ( 2012, May 12) Agjencia Kombetare e Lajmeve. Retrived from http://noa.al/mk/artikull.php?id=185058

     12.  Nafta që futet në Kosovë, shkakton kancerin. (2012, July 5). Koha Ditore. Retrieved from http://www.koha.net/?page=1,13,105990

     13.  Selani, A. (2012, June 21). Ndotesit kryesorë: Trepca, Ferronikeli, Keku, Veturat... Evropa e Lire. Retrieved from http://www.evropaelire.org/content/article/24621689.html

     14.  Te gjelbrit kunder importit te veturave te vjetra (2011, June 13). Kosova-Sot. Retrieved from http://www.kosova-sot.info/ekonomi/te-gjelbrit-kunder-importit-te-veturave-te-vjetra

     15.  UNDP (Ed.). (2007). Energy for Development: Human Development Report 2007. Retrieved from http://www.kosovo.undp.org/repository/docs/KHDR_eng_opt.pdf

Appendix (Our Work Organization and Flow)

     Our whole group participated in the delivery of this final report. As instructed, we worked together in the Wiki, where we all contributed with articles that we found regarding our topic on air pollution from mobile sources. Each of the members of the group contributed with certain articles and information. After gathering all the articles and publications we could find, we took advantage of each of the member’s certain capabilities. For example, after gathering all the data, one of the members with better media and graphing skills was put in charge of translating and creating the tables and graphics we found during our research; other members were assigned the responsibility of putting all the individual summaries in a coherent order and putting all the data together; another member was left responsible for correcting the citations and creating the Reference List; further on, the whole group together went over the report several times to check for mistakes and make corrections and suggestions. The corrections and suggestions were always highlighted with peculiar colors in order to make the changes and corrections more visible. The whole group worked in a coherent manner toward the completion of this report, by supporting one another with additional information, suggestions and corrections. Overall, we did not incur any problems neither with any of the group members, nor with the assignment itself.