Skip to main content

Atmospheric Conditions (Monitoring)

Volume 173: debated on Wednesday 6 June 1990

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) pursuant to the answer of 1 May, Official Report, columns 502–3, if he will give comparable figures on nitrogen dioxide, ozone and acidity of rain at each of the monitoring sites then in operation for each year since 1979; (2) pursuant to the answer of 1 May, Official Report, columns 502–3, if he will give comparable figures for suphur dioxide concentrations in each region for every year since 1979.

The information requested is in the table. Additional data have been published in the relevant Department of the Environment scientific review group and other reports: "Ozone in the United Kingdom" (United Kingdom photochemical oxidants review group), "Acidity in United Kingdom Fresh Waters" (United Kingdom acid waters review group second report), "Acid Deposition in the United Kingdom" (United Kingdom review group on acid rain second report) and "Lake Acidification in the United Kingdom" (paleoecology research unit, University College London). Copies of these publications have been placed in the Library of the House.

A. NO2 annual mean (am) and 98th percentile (98 percentile):

Units: parts per billion (ppb).

Site

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

EC Directive sites

Central London

am3433354339433235393539
98 percentile64667111073816364857480

West London

am353742
98 percentile8492112

Glasgow

am313027
98 percentile695761

Manchester

am292825
98 percentile656762

Walsall

am302629
98 percentile625459

Billingham

am232122
98 percentile635860

Non Directive sites:

Cromwell Road

am36466850484045
98 percentile82117209119128109105

Stevenage

am24181922202321272425
98 percentile71435054475752725356

B. Ozone: exceedances of 60pph hourly average

Site

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

Stevenage6411724217832410889361085
Central London2915311066146689374
Sibton66235815720772634676212
Aston Hill474583143
Lullington Heath0106112401
Strath Vaigh325328
High Muffles049184
Lough Navar344974
Yarner Wood2151360
Ladybower20173
Harwell11717370775116170
Bottesford503458542381382019493591082
Bush11533363
Eskdalemuir30492899
Great Dun Fell96167131204
Wharley Croft213634129
Glazebury2239

C. Acidity of rain as precipitation weighted mean acidity in microgramme equivalents per litre:

Site

1986

1987

1988

1989

Achanarras192525
Strath Vaigh Dam161613
River Mharcaidh22222120
Glen Dye454636
Balquhidder21322420
Whiteadder40364735
Eskdalemuir21252720
Redesdale41445233
Loch Dee29231915
Cow Green Reservoir27313423
Bannisdale30272824
High Muffles637255
Thorganby75738884
Jenny Hum891008564
Driby42434247
Wardlow Hay Cop29453337

Site

1986

1987

1988

1989

Beddgelert17191715
Bottesford61768148
Plynlimon151114
Stoke Ferry35363040
Preston Montford18252536
Llyn Brianne16211819
Tycanol Wood16171518
Woburn45513737
Flatford Mill33433535
Compton25281625
Barcombe Mills19221315
Yarner Wood17201420
Goonhilly20231519
Lough Navar11101010
Hillsborough Forest13
Isle of Man28342724

D. SO2 concentrations by region

Units: microgrammes per cubic meter

Region

1979–80

1980–81

1981–82

1982–83

1983–84

1984–85

1985–86

1986–87

1987–88

Scotland604953404043383632
North544243353330303335
North West846363494844393841
Yorks/Humber866978686759575150
East Midlands765865545447454746
West Midlands736164545749444439
Wales484139353536282624
East Anglia515050353428252724
London786866554748394237
South East575046393738373731
South West494543373534373425
Northern Ireland474047564658647067