Overview
European legislation sets out a number of requirements to control outdoor concentrations of PM2.5 and other air pollutants. The EU Directive on Ambient Air Quality includes legally binding Limit Values for some pollutants including PM10 (the mass per cubic metre of air of particles with a size (diameter) generally less than 10 micrometres) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). These pollutants also have adverse effects on health and are often associated with the same combustion sources as PM2.5. There is also a requirement to notify the public when concentrations of ground-level ozone (O3) are elevated.
Air Quality Standards now the UK has left the EU
The government is fully committed to tackling air pollution and that is independent of being a member of the EU.
The European Union (Withdrawal) Act ensures that the whole body of existing EU environmental law continues to have effect in UK law. Our national emission ceilings and ambient air quality limits are already set out in UK law. The measures in this Bill will also ensure that environmental ambition and accountability remain at the heart of government now the UK has left the EU, and will provide a clear trajectory for long-term significant environmental improvement.
Documents
Air Quality Plan for NO2 in UK
Hosted on www.gov.uk
Air Pollution in the UK
Hosted on www.uk-air.defra.gov.uk
Air Quality: Public Health Impacts and Local Actions
Released: 2010 (PDF, 226KB, 6 pages)
