e-Digest Statistics about: Air Quality
Concentrations of Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
Sulphur dioxide is an acid gas and can affect health and vegetation. It affects the lining of the nose, throat and airways of the lung, in particular, among those who suffer from asthma and chronic lung disease.
Table 9 shows SO2 concentrations and exceedences against the Air Quality Strategy, UK and EC criteria at automatic monitoring sites in 2006. All sites met the health objectives that the 1 hour mean should not exceed 350µg/m3 more than 24 times a year. In fact none of the sites recorded any exceedences at all.
The objective that the 24 hour mean should not exceed 125 µg/m3 more than 3 times a year by the end of 2004 was met with no exceedences. The objective that the 15 minute mean should not exceed 266 µg/m3 more than 35 times a year by the end of 2005 was met at all sites in 2006, with only 5 sites showed any exceedences
Figures 5-7 show trends in exceedences at urban sites of the objective levels for the 1 hour, 24 hour and 15 minute means respectively.
The Strategy's objective for the protection of vegetation and ecosystems that the annual and winter means should not exceed 20 µg/m3 by the end of 2000 only applies at sites remote from identified sources including major industry and roads and urban agglomerations. This objective was met. Table 9 shows concentrations reached 'moderate' levels for SO2 at 5 of the 77 national monitoring network sites in 2006.
Table 10 shows annual and winter mean concentrations at rural sulphur dioxide monitoring sites for 1997-2005 which remained well within the objectives set within the Air Quality Strategy.
There were no exceedences of the EC Alert Threshold or of EC Directive levels.
Further Information:
- Source:
- Defra, National Emission Ceilings Directive: National Strategy to Combat Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone
- Data Tables:
- 8 Estimated emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) by UNECE source category, type of fuel and end user, and for large combustion plants (LCPs): 1970-2006 XLS
- 9 Concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and exceedances against the Air Quality Strategy, UK and EC criteria at national monitoring network sites: 2006 XLS
- 10 Mean concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2) at rural sulphur dioxide monitoring sites: 1997-2004 XLS
- Chart 5 Sulphur dioxide 1 hour mean: Number of periods exceeding 350µg/m³ compared with health objective for 2004: 1990-2006 XLS
- Chart 6 Sulphur dioxide 24 hour mean: Number of days exceeding 125µg/m³ compared with health objective for 2004: 1990-2006 XLS
- Chart 7 Sulphur dioxide 15 minute mean: Number of periods exceeding 266µg/m³ compared with health objective for 2005: 1990-2006 XLS
- Internet Links:
- UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI)
- National Air Quality Information Archive
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Page last modified: 13 March 2008
Page published: 30 March 2006