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EU Air Quality Standards
Limit Values for the protection of human health
| Pollutant | Averaging period | Limit value* | Date by which value is to be met |
| Benzene | Calendar year | 5 µg/m3 (1.54 ppb) | 1 January 2010 |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 8-hour, rolling basis | 10 mg/m3 (8.6 ppm) | 1 January 2005 |
| Lead | Calendar year | 0.5 µg/m3 | 1 January 2005 or, in specific cases, 1 January 2010 |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 1-hour |
200 µg/m3 (105 ppb), not to be exceeded > 18 times a calendar year |
1 January 2010 |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | Calendar year | 40 µg/m3 (21 ppb) | 1 January 2010 |
| Ozone (O3) | Maximum daily 8-hour mean Target Value | 120 µg/m3 (60 ppb), not to be exceeded > 25 days a calendar year averaged over 3 years |
1 January 2010 |
|
Particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter Calendar year (PM10),
Gravimetric** |
24-hour | 50 µg/m3, not to be exceeded > 35 times a calendar year | 1 January 2005 |
| Calendar year | 40 µg/m3 | 1 January 2005 | |
| PM2.5 | Calendar year | 25 µg/m3 | 1 January 2015 |
| 3 years average (2013,14,15) |
20 µg/m3 | 1 January 2015 | |
| Exposure reduction | To meet 18 µg/m3 by 2020, between 0-20% urban background reduction required, depending on concentration in 2010, | between 2010 & 2020 (depending on concentration in 2010) |
|
| Sulphur dioxide (SO2) | 1-hour | 350 µg/m3 (132ppb), not to be exceeded > 24 times a calendar year | 1 January 2005 |
| 24-hour | 125 µg/m3 (47ppb), not to be exceeded > 3 times a calendar year | 1 January 2005 | |
| Arsenic (As) | Calendar year | Target value 6 ng/m3 | 1 January 2012 |
| Cadmium (Cd) | Calendar year | Target value 5 ng/m3 | 1 January 2012 |
| Nickel (Ni) | Calendar year | Target value 20 ng/m3 | 1 January 2012 |
| Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) | Calendar year | Target value 1 ng/m3 (expressed as Benzo(a)pyrene) | 1 January 2012 |
| Limit Values for the protection of vegetation (NOx) and ecosystems (SO2) | |||
| Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) | Calendar year | 30 µg/m3 | 19 July 2001 |
| Sulphur dioxide (SO2) | Calendar year & winter (1 Oct to 31 Mar) | 20 µg/m3 | 19 July 2001 |
* Limit Value is legally binding on member states. A target value is to be attained as far as possible by the attainment date and so is less strict than a limit value.
** Gravimetric refers to the method of measuring PM10
** Gravimetric refers to the method of measuring PM10
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