Air quality in Brussels pedestrian zone 'surprisingly good', study shows

While the air quality in the Royal Park of Brussels - the park between the Belgian Federal Parliament and the Royal Palace - is 'worrying', according to a study conducted by Flemish MP Joris Pochet in collaboration with the University of Antwerp (UA), the pedestrian zone in the city centre scores surprisingly well.

The study, which measured the air quality at 12 different locations throughout the Brussels-Capital Region, revealed that air pollution levels vary greatly across the region, writes brusselnieuws.be. Air pollution in Rue de la Loi, for example, was found to about four times higher than that in Watermael-Boitsfort.

Relatively high levels of air pollution were also measured in the Royal Park, in the heart of the city. "Lots of people go jogging in the Royal Park every day,” says Pochet, who wonders if that's such a good idea, considering the high levels of particulate matter measured there.

The new pedestrian zone, in the centre of Brussels since June, scores surprisingly well, the study shows. This confirms that air pollution is strongly linked to car exhaust, and that measurable improvement can be seen in a relatively short amount of time.