National Air Quality Strategy

A National Air Quality Strategy was published in July 2007 and outlined a range of health-based objectives for Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The report identified eight key air pollutants and set limits for each element, as levels above the recommended limit could have negative impacts upon public health.

The pollutants are:

nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
sulphur dioxide (SO2)
carbon monoxide (CO)
benzene (C6H6)
1,3-butadiene (C4H6)
lead (Pb)
ozone (O3)
particulate material (PM10).

You can find out more about these pollutants from the Air Quality in Northern Ireland website