The Government's Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards has set objectives for seven key pollutants for the protection of human health.
Local authorities have a duty to review and assess current and future air quality against the objectives, you can view our Review and Assessment pages by following the link - Air Quality Reviews
If it is shown that an objective will not be achieved the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), information about the AQMA declared in the borough is available by following the link - Air Quality Management Area.
The table below shows the averaging period for each objective and the date by which it should be achieved -
| Air Quality Objective | |||
| Pollutant | Concentration | Measured as | Date to be achieved by |
| Benzene | 16.25μg/m3 5.0μg/m3 | running annual mean annual mean | 31/12/2003 31/12/2010 |
| 1, 3-Butadiene | 2.25μg//m3 | running annual mean | 31/12/2003 |
| Carbon Monoxide | 10.0 mg/m3 | maximum daily running 8-hour mean | 31/12/2003 |
| Lead | 0.5 μg/m3 0.25μg/m3 | annual mean annual mean | 31/12/2004 31/12/2008 |
| Nitrogen Dioxide | 200 μg/m3
| 1 hour mean, not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year annual mean | 31/12/2005
|
| Particulates (PM10) (gravimetric) | 50 μg/m3
| 24 hour mean, not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year annual mean | 31/12/2004
|
| Sulphur Dioxide | 350μg/m3
266μg/m3 | 1 hour mean, not to be exceeded more than 24 times a year 24 hour mean, not to be exceeded more than 3 times a year 15 minute mean, not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year | 31/12/2004
31/12/2005 |
| μg/m3= micrograms per cubic metre. mg/m3 = milligrams per cubic metre | |||
Click on the link below to return to the main Air Quality - Airwatch page -
