|
Particulate matter consists of very small liquid and solid particles floating in the air. Of greatest concern to public health are the particles small enough to be inhaled into the deepest parts of the lung. These particles are less than 10 microns in diameter - about 1/7th the thickness of the a human hair - and are known as PM10 .Concern about the potential health impacts of PM10 has increased very rapidly over recent years. Increasingly, attention has been turning towards monitoring of the smaller particle fraction (PM2.5) capable of penetrating deepest into the lungs, or even to total particle numbers. |
This website is prepared and hosted by AEA, on behalf of the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Devolved Administrations