Spelthorne Borough Council

Providing Quality Services to the People of
Ashford, Laleham, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell & Sunbury

National air quality strategy

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The Environment Act (1995) required the UK Government and the devolved administrations for Scotland and Wales to produce a national air quality strategy containing standards, objectives and measures for improving ambient air quality and to keep these policies under review. There is equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland. The aim of the strategy is to ensure that everyone can enjoy a level of ambient air quality in public places which poses no significant risk to health or quality of life.

Air quality in the UK has generally continued to improve since 1997 when the first Air Quality Strategy was adopted. This was replaced by the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland published in January 2000. It established the framework for achieving further improvements in ambient air quality in the UK to 2003 and beyond. The strategy identified actions at local, national and international level to improve air quality. It was followed by an Addendum in February 2003 which tightened several of the objectives and introduced a new one.

The latest air quality strategy (2007) introduces a new ozone objective to protect ecosystems, in line with the EU target value set out in the Third Daughter Directive.


The 8 main pollutants of concern identified in the current air quality objectives

National air quality objectives and European Directive limit and target values for the protection of human health
Pollutant Objective
Maximum Concentration

 Objective
Measured as

 Date to be achieved by
Benzene 16.25 µgm-3 Running annual mean 31.12.2003
Benzene (apart from Scotland and Northern Ireland) 5 µgm-3
Running annual mean
 31.12.2010
1,3-butadiene 2.25 µgm-3 Running 8-hour mean 31.12.2003
Carbon monoxide (apart from Scotland) 10 mg-3 Maximum daily running 8-hour mean 31.12.2003
Lead 0.5 µgm-3 Annual mean 31.12.2004
. 0.25 µgm-3 Annual mean 31.12.2008
Nitrogen dioxide 200 µgm-3 not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year 1-hour mean not to be exceeded more than 18 times per year 31.12.2005
. 40 µgm-3 Annual mean 31.12.2005
Fine Particulates
(PM2.5)
 25 µgm-3 Annual mean 31.12.2014
Fine Particulates
(PM10) (gravimetric)
 50 µgm-3 not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year 24-hour mean 31.12.2004
. 40 µgm-3 Annual mean 31.12.2004
Sulphur dioxide 350 µgm-3 not to be
exceeded more than
24 times a year 		1-hour mean 31.12.2004
. 125 µgm-3 not to be
exceeded more than 3
times a year 		24-hour mean 31.12.2004
. 266 µgm-3 not to be
exceeded more than 35
times a year 		15-minute mean 31.12.2005

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