Air quality indicator for sustainable development
The air quality indicator is one of the 68 indicators of the Government’s Sustainable Development Strategy. It
presents trends for annual levels of particulate and ozone pollution, the two pollutants thought to have the
greatest health impacts, as well as the number of days on which levels of any one of a basket of five
pollutants were ‘moderate or higher’.
The main results are:
·
Annual average urban background particulate (PM10) levels were 24 microgrammes per cubic metre
(µg m-3) in 2006 compared to 22 in 2005. These levels have increased slightly in each of the last two
years, although there has been an overall decreasing trend since 1993, the first year for which data
was available.
·
Rural ozone levels (measured as the daily maximum 8-hour running mean) averaged 74 µg m-3 in
2006 compared to 70 µg m-3 in 2005 and 68 µg m-3 in 1993. There is no clear long term trend.
·
Urban background ozone levels were 61 µg m-3 in 2006 compared to 57 µg m-3 in 2005. These levels
have shown an overall increasing long term trend since 1993.
·
In urban areas in 2006, air pollution was recorded as moderate or higher on 41 days on average per
site, compared with 22 days in 2005, and 59 days in 1993, reflecting a high degree of variability.
·
In rural areas, air pollution in 2006 was moderate or higher for 57 days on average per site,
compared with 40 in 2005. This figure has varied significantly over time, although there appears to
be a gradually increasing long term trend.
presents trends for annual levels of particulate and ozone pollution, the two pollutants thought to have the
greatest health impacts, as well as the number of days on which levels of any one of a basket of five
pollutants were ‘moderate or higher’.
The main results are:
·
Annual average urban background particulate (PM10) levels were 24 microgrammes per cubic metre
(µg m-3) in 2006 compared to 22 in 2005. These levels have increased slightly in each of the last two
years, although there has been an overall decreasing trend since 1993, the first year for which data
was available.
·
Rural ozone levels (measured as the daily maximum 8-hour running mean) averaged 74 µg m-3 in
2006 compared to 70 µg m-3 in 2005 and 68 µg m-3 in 1993. There is no clear long term trend.
·
Urban background ozone levels were 61 µg m-3 in 2006 compared to 57 µg m-3 in 2005. These levels
have shown an overall increasing long term trend since 1993.
·
In urban areas in 2006, air pollution was recorded as moderate or higher on 41 days on average per
site, compared with 22 days in 2005, and 59 days in 1993, reflecting a high degree of variability.
·
In rural areas, air pollution in 2006 was moderate or higher for 57 days on average per site,
compared with 40 in 2005. This figure has varied significantly over time, although there appears to
be a gradually increasing long term trend.