Air Quality Consultants Ltd has reviewed PM2.5 in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). This will help SEPA determine how it can contribute to meeting European Union (EU) and UK exposure-reduction targets.
A detailed analysis of monitoring has been provided using openair software, together with modelling using EMEP 4UK and the UK’s Pollution Climate Model, to understand concentrations and their sources. Continental Europe is shown to be an important contributor to background PM2.5. Road transport, domestic combustion and industry are the three most important local sources of primary PM2.5. Industrial sources regulated by SEPA are required to apply Best Available Techniques (BAT) to limit emissions. A number of drivers that allow regulators (including SEPA) to go beyond BAT are set out.
The project team included Dr Mat Heal of the University of Edinburgh, Dr Massimo Vieno of the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, and Prof. Martin Bigg of the University of the West of England, Bristol.
The report may be downloaded here
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