Air Quality Report 2014
Air quality can be affected by a number of pollutants that in high concentrations may pose harm to human health. Combustion processes produce both Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Particulate Matter (PM10) with the main airport sources coming from vehicle traffic (staff and passenger journeys and airport operational vehicles), aircraft engines (during taxiing, take-off and landing), energy generation (diesel generators and gas boilers), fugitive emissions (evaporation - during fuelling of aircraft and vehicles) and other activities such as fire training.
This report considers air quality at East Midlands Airport during 2014, comparing recorded concentrations with the UK’s Air Quality Strategy. The National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS) forms the legislative basis for air quality in the UK, stipulating long and short term objectives to ensure air quality does not result in health issues.
National Air Quality Strategy Objectives Pollutant
Annual objective (mean limit)
Short term objective. (max events per annum)
NO2
40 µg/m3
18 hourly means > 200 µg/m3
PM10
40 µg/m3
35 daily means > 50 µg/m3
C6H6
5 µg/m3
N/A
Monitoring of air quality is undertaken continuously, with real time monitors recording levels of both NO2 and PM10 at the airport site. Additionally, passive diffusion tubes are deployed to monitor average monthly NO2 concentrations at seven locations across the airport site, including the location of the continuous air quality monitor. Benzene (C6H6) is also monitored by means of diffusion tube co-located at the continuous monitoring site.
eastmidlandsairport.com
Ambient concentrations of NO2 and PM10 recorded by real time monitoring are shown in Table 1 with analysis against NAQS objectives. Table 1. Analysis of continuous monitoring data against NAQS objectives
NO2
21
18
0
Yes
PM10
17
17
5
Yes
Monthly ambient concentrations recorded by real time monitoring are detailed in Figure 1. Figure 1. Average monthly NO2 and PM10 concentrations recorded by real time monitors NO2 Concentration (µg/m3)
50 40 30
27.2
26.2 20
21.7 17.8
16.8
14.1
12.4
11.4
Jun-14
Jul-14
Aug-14
13.3
10 0 Jan-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Apr-14
May-14
Sep-14
Oct-14
Nov-14
Dec-14
Oct-14
Nov-14
Dec-14
PM10 Concentration (µg/m3)
50 40 30 25.4
24.3
22.0
20 10
12.5
11.2
Jan-14
Feb-14
16.0
15.8
May-14
Jun-14
13.6
13.0
Jul-14
Aug-14
0 Mar-14
Apr-14
Sep-14
NO2 levels recorded by diffusion tube monitoring are shown in Table 2 with analysis against NAQS objectives. Table 2. Analysis of NO2 and C6H6 diffusion tube results against NAQS objectives
NO2 Diffusion Tube Results 1
37
31
Yes
2
37
25
Yes
3
32
18
Yes
4
26
21
Yes
5
27
18
Yes
6
24
21
Yes
7
28
16
Yes
C6H6 Diffusion Tube Results 7
0.8
0.7
Yes
NB. Diffusion tube monitoring results are reported following the removal of anomalous data and bias adjustment in line with Defra Guidance. The baseline data is based on data collected between 2007 and 2011. NO2 data shown for Site 7 is a mean value for the three co-located diffusion tubes. Continuous monitoring data for October – December 2014 is not available.
This report considers air quality at East Midlands Airport during 2014, comparing recorded concentrations with the UK’s Air Quality Strategy. The National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS) forms the legislative basis for air quality in the UK, stipulating long and short term objectives to ensure air quality does not result in health issues.
National Air Quality Strategy Objectives Pollutant
Annual objective (mean limit)
Short term objective. (max events per annum)
NO2
40 µg/m3
18 hourly means > 200 µg/m3
PM10
40 µg/m3
35 daily means > 50 µg/m3
C6H6
5 µg/m3
N/A
Monitoring of air quality is undertaken continuously, with real time monitors recording levels of both NO2 and PM10 at the airport site. Additionally, passive diffusion tubes are deployed to monitor average monthly NO2 concentrations at seven locations across the airport site, including the location of the continuous air quality monitor. Benzene (C6H6) is also monitored by means of diffusion tube co-located at the continuous monitoring site.
eastmidlandsairport.com
Ambient concentrations of NO2 and PM10 recorded by real time monitoring are shown in Table 1 with analysis against NAQS objectives. Table 1. Analysis of continuous monitoring data against NAQS objectives
NO2
21
18
0
Yes
PM10
17
17
5
Yes
Monthly ambient concentrations recorded by real time monitoring are detailed in Figure 1. Figure 1. Average monthly NO2 and PM10 concentrations recorded by real time monitors NO2 Concentration (µg/m3)
50 40 30
27.2
26.2 20
21.7 17.8
16.8
14.1
12.4
11.4
Jun-14
Jul-14
Aug-14
13.3
10 0 Jan-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Apr-14
May-14
Sep-14
Oct-14
Nov-14
Dec-14
Oct-14
Nov-14
Dec-14
PM10 Concentration (µg/m3)
50 40 30 25.4
24.3
22.0
20 10
12.5
11.2
Jan-14
Feb-14
16.0
15.8
May-14
Jun-14
13.6
13.0
Jul-14
Aug-14
0 Mar-14
Apr-14
Sep-14
NO2 levels recorded by diffusion tube monitoring are shown in Table 2 with analysis against NAQS objectives. Table 2. Analysis of NO2 and C6H6 diffusion tube results against NAQS objectives
NO2 Diffusion Tube Results 1
37
31
Yes
2
37
25
Yes
3
32
18
Yes
4
26
21
Yes
5
27
18
Yes
6
24
21
Yes
7
28
16
Yes
C6H6 Diffusion Tube Results 7
0.8
0.7
Yes
NB. Diffusion tube monitoring results are reported following the removal of anomalous data and bias adjustment in line with Defra Guidance. The baseline data is based on data collected between 2007 and 2011. NO2 data shown for Site 7 is a mean value for the three co-located diffusion tubes. Continuous monitoring data for October – December 2014 is not available.
