The Air Quality Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

Definitions and interpretation

2.—(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(1) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(2) In these Regulations—

“ambient air” means outdoor air in the troposphere, excluding workplaces as defined by Directive 89/654/EEC(2) where provisions concerning health and safety at work apply and to which members of the public do not have regular access;

“AOT 40” (expressed in (µg/m³) · hours) means the sum of the difference between hourly concentrations greater than 80 µg/m³ (= 40 parts per billion) and 80 µg/m³ over a given period using only the one-hour values measured between 8.00 and 20.00 Central European Time (CET) each day;

“arsenic, cadmium, nickel and benzo(a)pyrene” mean the total content of those elements and compounds within the PM₁₀ present in ambient air;

“average exposure indicator” means the indicator calculated by the Secretary of State under Regulation 23 of the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010(3);

“chemical speciation concentrations” means the concentrations of different chemical components or species of PM_2.5;

“Directive 2004/107/EC” means Directive 2004/107/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air(4);

“fixed measurements” means measurements taken at fixed locations, either continuously or by sampling from time to time, to determine levels of pollutants in accordance with the relevant data quality objectives;

“indicative measurement” means measurements which meet data quality objectives that are less strict than those required for fixed measurements;

“margin of tolerance” means the percentage of the limit value by which that value may be exceeded in a given year;

“national exposure reduction target” means the target established by the Secretary of State under Regulation 24 of the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010;

“oxides of nitrogen” means the sum of the volume mixing ratio (ppbv) of nitrogen monoxide (nitric oxide) and nitrogen dioxide expressed in units of mass concentration of nitrogen dioxide (µg/m³);

“ozone precursor substances” means substances which contribute to the formation of ground level ozone;

“PM₁₀” means particulate matter which passes through a size-selective inlet as defined in the reference method for the sampling and measurement of PM₁₀, EN 12341, with a 50% efficiency cut-off at 10 µm aerodynamic diameter;

“PM_2.5” means particulate matter which passes through a size-selective inlet as defined in the reference method for the sampling and measurement of PM_2.5, EN 14907, with a 50% efficiency cut-off at 2.5 µm aerodynamic diameter;

“particulate matter” means PM_2.5 and PM₁₀;

“pollutant” means any of the following—

(a)

sulphur dioxide,

(b)

nitrogen dioxide,

(c)

oxides of nitrogen,

(d)

particulate matter,

(e)

lead,

(f)

benzene,

(g)

carbon monoxide,

(h)

arsenic,

(i)

cadmium,

(j)

mercury,

(k)

nickel,

(l)

benzo(a)pyrene or other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,

(m)

ozone;

“polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons” means those organic compounds composed of at least two fused aromatic rings made entirely from carbon and hydrogen;

“the Department” means the Department of the Environment;

“the Directive” means Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe(5);

“total gaseous mercury” means elemental mercury vapour (Hg⁰) and reactive gaseous mercury, i.e. water-soluble mercury species with sufficiently high vapour pressure to exist in the gas phase.

(1)

1954 c.33 (N.I.)

(2)

OJ L 393, 30.12.1989, p.35-36

(3)

S.I. 2010/1001

(4)

OJ No L 23, 26.1.2005, p.3, last amended by Regulation (EC) No 219/2009 (OJ No L 87, 31.3.2009, p.109)

(5)

OJ No L 152, 11.6.2008, p.1