NO₂ and SO₂ are not only harmful by themselves but contribute also significantly to the formation of nitrate and sulphate aersole, which constitutes the largest part of fine particulate matter. NO₂ is also necessary to synthesize ozone in the atmosphere. All of these substances are known to impair human health, in particular for risk groups like children, elderly or people with heart and pulmonary diseases. SO₂ is further responsible for the acidification of rain. Shipping is an important contributor to air pollution in coastal areas.

The following maps show the model concentration results for the most relevant substances. The results are presented in µg/m³ or as relative deviation from the reference case in %. The maps of the scenarios show the relative change of the ship contribution to the air pollutant concentrations.