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Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations: 1992-2007
Annual mean concentrations (µg/m 3)
Site 5 | 1992 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|
Annual mean concentrations (µg/m 3) |
|---|
Glasgow Centre 6 | - | - | 36 | 33 | 31 | 31 |
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Glasgow City Chambers | 48 | 50 | 49 | 46 | 47 | 47 |
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Edinburgh 2 | 53 | 50 | 45 | 25 | 27 | 27 |
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Hourly means exceeding 200µg/m 3 |
|---|
Glasgow Centre 6 | - | - | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
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Glasgow City Chambers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
|---|
Edinburgh 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
High concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) can affect human health, particularly by causing inflammation of the airways. Ecosystem health is also damaged by NO 2 by contributing to acid deposition, eutrophication and promoting the formation of ground level ozone.
All combustion processes in air produce oxides of nitrogen (NO x). Road transport accounted for 32% of all UK NO x emissions in 2006; this contribution is greatly increased in urban areas. Between 1990 and 2006, UK emissions of NO x are estimated to have decreased by 49%3, due in part to the installation of catalytic converters in vehicles.
The Air Quality Strategy 4 objectives for NO 2 (to be met by the end of 2005) are (1) an annual mean of 40µg/m 3 and (2) an hourly mean of 200µg/m 3 not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, the first objective was not met at two of the eight automatic monitoring sites in Scotland - Glasgow City Chambers and Glasgow Kerbside. The second objective was met at all automatic monitoring sites except Glasgow Kerbside, which recorded 21 exceedances.
Source: UKNational Air Quality Archive
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