Air Quality
In 1996 the European Commission published the Air Quality Framework Directive (96/62/EC) representing a new approach to ambient air quality monitoring, assessment and management. The framework directive set out the principles of the approach and was followed by four daughter directives which detailed the limit values for specific pollutants.
The framework directive was transposed into Irish law by the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (Ambient Air Quality Assessment and Management) Regulations 1999 (S.I. No. 33 of 1999).
The first daughter directive (1999/30/EC) deals with sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and lead.
The second daughter directive (2000/69/EC) deals with carbon monoxide and benzene.
These two daughter directives were transposed into Irish law by the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2002 (S.I. No. 271 of 2002). These regulations came into force on 17th June 2002.
A third daughter directive, Council Directive (2002/3/EC) relating to ozone was published in February 2002 and was transposed into Irish law by the Ozone in Ambient Air Regulations 2004 (S.I. No. 53 of 2004).
The fourth daughter directive (2004/107/EC) was published in January 2005. It covers polyaromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic, nickel, cadmium and mercury in ambient air. It is due to be transposed into Irish law by 15th February 2007.
These new EU Directives set out a new approach to the monitoring, assessment and management of air quality has been adopted in recent years. The Directives incorporate stringent standards for a wide range of pollutants, several of which are being covered for the first time.
Emissions from road traffic are now the primary threat to the quality of air in Ireland. The pollutants of most concern in this regard are nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter, expressed as PM10. Results of monitoring indicate that compliance with the stringent new PM10 and NO2 standards may present problems in some urban areas subject to heavy traffic.
The EPA is implementing a new monitoring programme that will supply more up-to-date information on ambient air quality, including real-time data, to the public.
The data is available by clicking the attached link
www.epa.ie/OurEnvironment/Air/AccessMaps/WexfordWexfordTown/
An air quality index is used to express complex air quality information in simple terms. Five bands are used in the Irish index; very good, good, fair, poor and very poor.
The index is based on a maximum of four parameters; the 1 hour average of SO2 (sulphur dioxide), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and O3 (ozone), combined with the rolling 24 hour average of PM10 (particulate matter with diameter less than ten microns). All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.
The index for each of the four parameters is derived each hour see http://www.epa.ie/ for further information on air quality index.
Table of Air Quality Index
SO2 / ppb (1 hour avg.) |
NO2 / ppb (1 hour avg.) |
O3 / ppb (1 hour avg.) |
PM10 / ug m-3 (24 hour avg.) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Very Good
|
0 – 19 |
0 - 19 |
0 – 19 |
0 – 19 |
Good
|
20 – 49 |
20 – 49 |
20 – 59 |
20 – 49 |
Fair
|
50 – 79 |
50 – 74 |
60 - 89 |
50 - 74 |
Poor
|
80 – 129 |
75 - 104 |
90 – 119 |
75 – 99 |
Very Poor
|
³ 130 |
³ 105 |
³ 120 |
³ 100 |
