1

Air Quality

13th May 2009

WCBC Air Quality Strategy

Sarah Evans, Senior EHO

Paul Campini, Technical Officer

2

Air Quality Update

• National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS)• Regulates

– Benzene - Sulphur Dioxide– 1,3-Butadiene - Particulates

– Carbon Monoxide

– Lead

– Nitrogen Dioxide - Ozone

3

Benzene

• Minor constituent of petrol.

• Significantly reduced by catalytic converters.

• Chronic effects.

• Levels are very low in Wrexham

4

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

• Nitrogen Oxide is produced from cars and industrial process

• Rapidly oxidised to NO2 in the air

• Respiratory effects.

• No exceedences in Wrexham

5

Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)

• Produced by burning fossil fuels.

• Wrexham site used for UK mapping and future predictions.

• Respiratory effects.

• No exceedences in Wrexham.

6

Particulates (PM10)

• Caused by combustion, chemical reactions and suspended solids (e.g. Saharan Sand).

• Formed in many different sizes.

• Respiratory effects.

• No exceedences in Wrexham.

7

Ozone (O3)

• Formed by complex reactions in the atmosphere.

• Not included in the regulations.

• Respiratory effects.

• Indicative monitoring carried out in Wrexham.

8

1,3 - Butadiene

• Emitted by petrol and diesel vehicles.

• Also by synthetic rubber manufacturers.

• Chronic effects.

• Not monitored for in Wrexham.

9

Carbon Monoxide

• Caused by inefficient fuel combustion, particularly petrol.

• Respiratory effects.

• No longer monitored for in Wrexham.

10

Lead

• Main source used to be petrol.

• Main source now industry.

• Harmful.

• Not monitored for in Wrexham.

11

Types of Monitoring

Continuous (automatic) Monitoring

Victoria Road

AURN Site

Isycoed (St Paul’s)

WCBC owned site

12

Passive (non-automatic) Monitoring

Types of Monitoring

13

Monitoring LocationsTo Chester

Wrexham

Rhosllanerchrugog

To Nantwich

To Oswestry

Chirk

Ruabon

Rossett

Bangor-is-y-coed

Hanmer

Marchwiel

A5

A483

A541

Coedpoeth

Gresford

Overton

Penley

BrymboGwersyllt

Bettisfield

Holt

MarfordLlay

Froncysyllte

Rhostyllen

WrexhamIndustrial Est.

To Ruthin

Pentre

Minera

Ordnance Survey digital mapping withthe permission of the Controller of herMajesty's Stationery Office. CrownCopyright Reserved. Wrexham CountyBorough Council Licence No. LA09021L

To Llangollen

LLanarmonDC

Glyn Ceiriog

Development Services Directorate

Wrexham County Borough To Mold

14

Monitoring Locations

• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2):

Grosvenor Road Crown Buildings Redwither Tower

Plas Madoc Ceiriog School Gardden View

Hugmore Lane Old Farm Road Mold Road

Chester Road Holt Road Holyhead Road

The Sycamores Rhostyllen Rbt Kings Street

15

Monitoring Locations

• Others

Sulphur Dioxide Benzene Ozone

Llay Grosvenor Road Chirk

Brymbo Rhos

Chirk

16

• No exceedences of NAQS objectives since came into force, hence no Air Quality Management Area’s (AQMA).

• Gas supply introduced into Llay prior to Regs coming into force.

• Statutory requirement for annual reports to Welsh Assembly Government (WAG).

• All reports (9) to date accepted by WAG.

Monitoring Results

17

Monitoring Results

• New report being finalised.

• No exceedences.

18

• Areas being carefully monitored:– Grosvenor Road.– Rhostyllen Rbt.

• New areas monitored at:– Smithfield Road (As of April ’09).

• Future areas that may need monitoring:– New access roads to Industrial Estate.

Monitoring Results

19

WAQF

• Member of Welsh Air Quality Forum (WAQF)– www.welshairquality.co.uk– Set up in 1994.– All 22 Welsh Authorities are members.– Website copied by Scotland, Northern Ireland and

Gibraltar.– Administered by AEA Environment and Energy

• Planning applications also commented on for Air Quality.

20

WAQF

21

Air Quality Strategy: Future

• Ongoing review of monitoring sites.

• Update air quality section of www.wrexham.gov.uk

• Continue to provide annual reports to WAG.