Legislation
The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs†.
Current Air Quality Strategy Objectives for the UK
(and EU limit values*)
Objectives to be included in Regulations for the purposes of Local Air Quality Management.
| National air quality objectives and European Directive limit values for the protection of human health | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollutant | Objective | Measured as | Date to be achieved |
| Benzene | 16.25 µgm-3 5 µgm-3 |
running annual mean annual average |
31 December 2003 1 January 2010* |
| 1,3 Butadiene | 2.25 µgm-3 | running annual mean | 31 December 2003 |
| Carbon Monoxide | 10 mgm-3 | maximum daily running 8 hour mean |
31 December 2003 1 January 2005* |
| Lead | 0.5 µgm-3 0.25 µgm-3 |
annual mean annual mean |
31 December 2004 1 January 2005* 31 December 2008 |
| Nitrogen dioxide | 200 µgm-3 40 µgm-3 |
1 hour mean not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year annual mean |
31 December 2005 1 January 2010 |
Ozone | 100 µgm-3 120 µgm-3 |
8 hour mean not to be exceeded more than 10 times a year not to be exceeded more than 25 times a year averaged over 3 years |
31 December 2005 1 January 2010* |
| Particles (PM10) | 50 µgm-3 40 µgm-3 |
24 hour mean not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year annual mean |
31 December 2004 31 December 2004 |
| Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons |
0.25 µgm-3 B[a]P Target of 1 µgm-3 |
as annual average | 31 December 2010 31 December 2012* |
| Sulphur dioxide | 350 µgm-3 125 µgm-3 266 µgm-3 |
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 December 2004 1 January 2005* 31 December 2004 1 January 2005* 31 December 2005 |
| Particulate matter - seperate objectives have been agreed for London | |||
| Particles (PM10) | 50 µgm-3 40 µgm-3 |
24 hour mean not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year annual mean |
31 December 2004 31 December 2004 |
| LONDON ONLY | 50 µgm-3 23 µgm-3 |
24 hour mean not to be exceeded more than 10 times a year annual mean |
31 December 2010 31 December 2004 |
| National air quality objectives and European Directive limit values for the protection of vegetation and ecosystems | |||
| Nitrogen dioxide | 50 µgm-3 | annual mean | 31 December 2000 19 July 2001* |
| Sulphur dioxide | 20 µgm-3 20 µgm-3 |
annual mean winter average |
31 December 2000 19 July 2001* |
| † This information is taken from the Air Quality Strategy published by the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Nobel House, 17 Smith Square,
London SW1P 3JR Telephone: 020 7238 6000 Website: www.defra.gov.uk © Crown copyright 2003 |
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