What is the air pollution like near me?
In this section you can find out more about what current levels of air pollution are like near you. For the purpose of monitoring and reporting air pollution the UK has been divided into regions (or zones) and urban areas (or agglomerations), in accordance with EC Directive 96/62/EC. There are sixteen regions defined for reporting levels of air pollution. They match:
There are twenty-eight defined urban areas (population greater than 250,000), of which sixteen are used on this site and elsewhere to report the current and forecast levels of air pollution. Click here to view a map defining the sixteen regions and sixteen urban areas. A detailed report on the designation of UK zones and agglomerations can be seen on from this web site. From the map on the home page of this site you can select one of the sixteen regions to reveal the latest air pollution measurements and forecasts for that area, and then find out about the monitoring stations making these measurements. On the map here you can select one of the sixteen urban areas to access similar detailed information. Air pollution is described on a scale of 1-10 where 1 corresponds to 'Low' pollution and 10 corresponds to 'Very High' pollution. Click on the map here to reveal the latest measured air pollution concentrations and forecasts for sixteen major urban areas. The latest air pollution information reported here is based on results from over 100 automatic monitoring systems which take readings every hour. In addition to these there are around over 2000 non-automatic monitors which sample air pollution levels on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Click here to list all the locations where automatic air pollution monitoring which is going on near you:
From these measurements we have calculated 2001 Estimated Background Pollutant Concentration which show where the hotspots for each individual pollutant are located.
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EC DirectivesDirective 96/62/EC sets a framework for how the UK must monitor and report ambient levels of air pollutants. The UK has been divided into zones and agglomerations within which the pollutants will be monitored. A definition of zones and agglomerations is provided above. Directive 99/30/EC sets ambient air limit values for nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, lead and particulate matter. Directive 2000/69/EC sets ambient air limit values for benzene and carbon monoxide. Directive 2002/3/EC sets ambient air limit values for ozone. More information on these directives can be found in the Devolved Administrations' respective consultation papers on the Proposed Regulations Transposing the EC Air Quality Framework Directive and Daughter Directives at: England
The obligations of the Directives have been made into UK and Devolved Administrations laws, coming into force on 19 July 2001. The legal texts can be found at: England
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