The Air Quality Standards (Wales) Regulations 2007

Regulation 6

SCHEDULE 1Air quality standards

PART 1Limit values for Group A pollutants

Benzene

Averaging periodLimit valueAttainment date
Limit value for the protection of human healthCalendar year5 μg/m31 January 2010

Carbon monoxide

For the purposes of this table, the maximum daily 8-hour mean concentration will be selected by examining 8-hour running averages, calculated from hourly data and updated each hour. Each 8-hour average so calculated will be assigned to the day on which it ends, i.e. the first calculation period for any one day will be the period from 17:00 on the previous day to 01:00 on that day; the last calculation period for any one day will be the period from 16:00 to 24:00 on that day.

Averaging periodLimit value
Limit value for the protection of human healthMaximum daily 8-hour mean10 mg/m3

Lead

Averaging periodLimit value
Annual limit value for the protection of human healthCalendar year0.5 μg/m3

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx)

Averaging periodLimit valueAttainment date
Hourly limit value for the protection of human health1 hour200 μg/m3 NO2, not to be exceeded more than 18 times a calendar year1 January 2010
Annual limit value for the protection of human healthCalendar year40 μg/m3 NO21 January 2010
Annual limit value for the protection of vegetationCalendar year30 μg/m3 NOx

PM10

Averaging periodLimit value
24-hour limit value for the protection of human health24 hours50 μg/m3 PM10, not to be exceeded more than 35 times a calendar year
Annual limit value for the protection of human healthCalendar year40 μg/m3 PM10

Sulphur dioxide

Averaging periodLimit value
Hourly limit value for the protection of human health1 hour350 μg/m3, not to be exceeded more than 24 times a calendar year
Daily limit value for the protection of human health24 hours125 μg/m3, not to be exceeded more than 3 times a calendar year
Limit value for the protection of ecosystemsCalendar year and winter (1 October to 31 March)20 μg/m3

PART 2Margins of tolerance for benzene and nitrogen dioxide

Start of period during which the margin appliesEnd of period during which the margin appliesBenzeneNitrogen dioxide (hourly limit value for the protection of human health)Nitrogen dioxide (annual limit value for the protection of human health)
Coming into force of these Regulations31 December 20073 μg/m330 μg/m36 μg/m3
1 January 200831 December 20082 μg/m320 μg/m34 μg/m3
1 January 200931 December 20091 μg/m310 μg/m32 μg/m3

PART 3Target values for Group B pollutants

1.  The target values in the table below in each case relate to the total content of the relevant pollutant in the PM10 fraction averaged over one calendar year.

2.  The attainment date for each of these target values is 31 December 2012.

PollutantTarget value
Arsenic6 ng/m3
Benzo(a)pyrene1 ng/m3
Cadmium5 ng/m3
Nickel20 ng/m3

PART 4Target values and long-term objectives for ozone

3.  In this Part—

(a)all values must be expressed in μg/m3;

(b)the volume must be standardised at the following conditions of temperature and pressure: 293K and 101.3kPa;

(c)the time must be specified in Central European Time;

(d)“AOT40” (expressed in (μg/m3) hours) means the sum of the difference between hourly concentrations greater than 80 μg/m3 (which equals 40 parts per billion) and 80 μg/m3 over a given period using only the 1 hour values measured between 8:00 and 20:00 Central European Time each day; and

(e)in order to be valid, the annual data on exceedances used to check compliance with the target values and long-term objectives below must meet the criteria set out in Part 2 of Schedule 12.

Target values

ParameterTarget value for 2010(1)
(1)

Compliance with target values will be assessed as of this value; that is, 2010 will be the first year the data for which is used in calculating compliance over three or five years, as appropriate.

(2)

The maximum daily 8-hour mean concentration will be selected by examining 8-hour running averages, calculated from hourly data and updated each hour. Each 8-hour average so calculated will be assigned to the day on which it ends; that is, the first calculation period for any one day will be the period from 17:00 on the previous day to 01:00 on that day; the last calculation period for any one day will be the period from 16:00 to 24:00 on the day.

(3)

If the three or five-year averages cannot be determined on the basis of a full and consecutive set of annual data, the minimum annual data required for checking compliance with the target values will be as follows: (i) for the target value for the protection of human health, valid data for one year, and (ii) for the target value for the protection of vegetation, valid data for three years.

Target value for the protection more of human healthMaximum daily 8-hour mean(2)120 μg/m3 not to be exceeded on than 25 days per calendar year averaged over three years(3)
Target value for the protection of vegetationAOT 40, calculated from 1-hour values from May to July18,000 μg/m3.h averaged over five years(3)

Long-term objectives

ParameterLong-term objective
Long-term objective for the protection of human healthMaximum daily 8-hour mean within a calendar year120 μg/m3
Long-term objective for the protection of vegetationAOT40, calculated from 1-hour values from May to July6,000 μg/m3.h