Air Quality
Page updated on: 19/06/2024
The Environment Act 1995 places a duty on us to periodically review and assess air quality within our area. There are key pollutants that should be considered, and they are set out in legislation. Each of the key pollutants has a standard that should not be breached. The standards (or objectives) have been set at levels based on current scientific information which are designed to protect health and the environment. The Air Quality Objectives are set out in the Air Quality Standards (Wales) Regulations 2010
We submit regular air quality reports to Welsh Government on Carmarthenshire’s air quality. Further information on air quality reports can be downloaded from the Defra website. All Local Authorities in Wales update details about their monitoring locations and sampling results on the Welsh Air Quality Forum website.
We have identified that the key pollutant most relevant to Carmarthenshire is Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2). The main source of NO2 emissions in Carmarthenshire is road traffic. We have developed a monitoring network that follows some of our busiest roads and most congested streets.
Maps showing the location of the monitoring sites and annual mean results are provided In My Area.
An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) was designated for part of Llandeilo in 2011. This is because standards for NO2 in the area are being breached. Although NO2 levels in the area are not sufficiently high to be causing immediate health effects, they are at levels that could result in health issues over the long term, for people who already suffer from respiratory conditions, such as asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) etc.
We work closely with colleagues at external agencies to help identify and implement solutions to improve air quality in the area.
An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) was designated for a specific area of Carmarthen in August 2016. The reason is due to emissions from road traffic sources. Levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), currently breach legal levels in very localised hotspots within the AQMA, and we are working with our partners within and outside the Council to reduce these levels where we can.
Although NO2 levels in the area are not sufficiently high to be causing immediate health effects, they are at levels that could result in health issues over the long term, for people who are exposed for sufficient periods of time and who already suffer from respiratory conditions, such as asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) etc.
An Action Plan has been developed, which identifies measures that could help improve Air Quality in the area. The AQMA Order and Boundary map for Carmarthen is available to download below.
An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) was designated for a specific area of Llanelli in August 2016. The reason is due to emissions from road traffic sources. Levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), currently breach legal levels in very localised hotspots within the AQMA, and we are working with our partners within and outside of the Council to reduce these levels where we can.
Although NO2 levels in the area are not sufficiently high to be causing immediate health effects, they are at levels that could result in health issues over the long term, for people who are exposed for sufficient periods of time and who already suffer from respiratory conditions, such as asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) etc.
An Action Plan has been developed, which identifies measures that could help improve Air Quality in the area. The AQMA Order and Boundary map for Llanelli is available to download below.
Carmarthenshire County Council uses diffusion tubes to carry out non- automatic (passive) monitoring of NO2.
Passive diffusion tube samplers collect nitrogen dioxide by molecular diffusion along an inert tube to an efficient chemical absorbent. After exposure for a month, the absorbent material is chemically analysed and the concentration calculated.
The results show the annual mean in units of microgrammes per cubic metre µg/m3. A concentration of 1 µg/m3 means that one cubic metre of air contains one microgramme (millionth of a gramme) of pollutant.
The annual air quality objective for Nitrogen Dioxide is 40μg/m3.
The LAQM process places an obligation on all local authorities to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas and to determine whether or not the air quality objectives are being achieved. Where exceedances occur, or are likely to occur, the local authority must then declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and prepare an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) setting out the measures it intends to put in place in pursuit of the objectives.
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