Environmental Factors and Health

Appendix 3
EU ambient air quality limit values

The following table summarises the EU ambient air quality limit values for the protection of human health. Limit values for the protection of ecosystems and agriculture are omitted.

Pollutant

Average time

EU limit values µg/m3

Conditions of EU limit value

Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

10 minutes

 

No EU threshold but required to measure and report at selected stations.

 

1 hour

350

Not to be exceeded more than 24 times per calendar year (99.7 percentile). 43% margin of tolerance allowed in 2000, lowering in annual steps until 2005 when full compliance is required.

 

24 hours

125

Not to be exceeded more than 3 times per calendar year (99.2 percentile)

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

1 hour

200

Not to be exceeded more than 18 times per calendar year (99.8 percentile). 50% margin of tolerance allowed in 2000, lowering in annual steps until 2010 when full compliance is required.

 

1 year

40

50% margin of tolerance allowed in 2000, lowering in annual steps until 2010 when full compliance is required.

PM10

24 hours

50

Not to be exceeded more than 35 times per calendar year (90.4 percentile, 2005), decreasing to 7 times per calendar year (98 percentile, 2010). 50% margin of tolerance allowed in 2000, lowering in annual steps until 2005.

 

1 year

40 (2005)
20 (2010)

50% margin of tolerance allowed in 2000, lowering in annual steps until 2010.

PM2.5

24 hours

 

No EU threshold but required to be measured and reported at representative locations. [Proposed USA limit value: 65 µg/m3.]

 

1 year

 

No EU threshold. [Proposed USA limit value: 15 µg/m3.]

Lead (Pb)

1 year

0.5

100% margin of tolerance allowed in 2000, lowering in annual steps until 2005.

Ozone (O3)

8 hour average

110

Existing EU threshold (1992) for reporting purposes. Calculated as non-overlapping 8-hour averages.

 

8 hour average, highest each day

120

Proposed: Not to be exceeded by more than 20 days per calendar year averaged over 3 years (94.5 percentile). Long-term objective: highest 8-hour average within a calendar year.

Carbon monoxide (CO)

8 hours

10,000

Proposed: 50% margin of tolerance allowed in 2000, lowering in annual steps until 2005 when full compliance is required.

Benzene

1 year

5

Proposed: 100% margin of tolerance allowed until 1 Jan 2003, lowering in annual steps until 1 Jan 2010 when full compliance is required.