air quality
Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations: 1992-2005
Site 5 | 1992 | 1995 | 2000 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
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Annual mean concentrations (µg/m 3) |
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Glasgow Centre 6 | - | - | 36 | - | 36 | 33 |
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Glasgow City Chambers | 48 | 50 | 49 | 50 | 49 | 46 |
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Edinburgh 2 | 53 | 50 | 45 | - | 25 | 25 |
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Hourly means exceeding 200µg/m 3 |
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Glasgow Centre 6 | - | - | 2 | - | 0 | 1 |
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Glasgow City Chambers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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Edinburgh 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 |
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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 and promoting the formation of ground level ozone.
All combustion processes in air produce oxides of nitrogen (NO x). Road transport accounted for 37% of all UK NO x emissions in 2004; this contribution is greatly increased in urban areas. Between 1990 and 2004, UK emissions of NO x decreased by 45% 3 due 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, 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.
SOURCE: UK NATIONAL AIR QUALITY ARCHIVE