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Dutch air quality: overview of standards

In order to protect people and nature, the EU has adopted standards for the concentrations of substances in outside air (i.e. air quality). The table below provides an overview of the main standards. The table also includes links to web pages in the Environmental Data Compendium with current figures about the relevant standard. If there is no link, there will be no other data in the Compendium.

European air quality standards
SubstanceTargetingStandardLevelStatus 2) 3)
Sulphur dioxide SO2:humans24-hour average exceedance not permitted on more than 3 days a year.125 µg/m3 limit value; with effect from 19-07-2001
 humanshourly average; exceedance not permitted for more than 24 hours a year.350 µg/m3 limit value; with effect from 19-07-2001
 humanshourly average; observed during three successive hours in an area of at least 100 km2.500 µg/m3 alarm threshold; with effect from 19-07-2001
 nature annual average and winter average (1 October through 31 March)20 µg/m3 limit value; with effect from 19-07-2001
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)humansannual average40 µg/m3limit value; with effect from 2010 (in force since 19-07-2001)
 humansannual average56 µg/m3plan threshold for 2002.
 humanshourly average; exceedance not permitted for more than 18 hours a year.200 µg/m3limit value; with effect from 2010 (in force since 19-07-2001)
 humanshourly average; exceedance not permitted for more than 18 hours a year.280 µg/m3plan threshold for 2002.
 humanshourly average; observed during three successive hours in an area of at least 100 km2.400 µg/m3 alarm threshold, valid as at 01-03-2001
Nitrogen oxides (NOx)natureannual average (page is not available yet)30 µg/m3limit value; with effect from 19-07-2001
Particulate matter (PM10)humansannual average40 µg/m3limit value; with effect from 2005 (in force since 19-07-2001)
 humansannual average45 µg/m3plan threshold for 2002.
 humansdaily average exceedance not permitted on more than 35 days a year.50 µg/m3limit value; with effect from 2005 (in force since 19-07-2001)
 humansdaily average exceedance not permitted on more than 35 days a year.65 µg/m3plan threshold for 2002.
Lead (Pb)humansannual average0.5 µg/m3 limit value; with effect from 19-07-2001
Benzenehumansannual average10 µg/m3limit value; applies until 2005
 humansannual average5 µg/m3limit value; with effect from 2005
Carbon monoxide (CO)humans98 percentile of 8-hour averages6 000 µg/m3limit value; applies until 2005
 humans99.9 percentile of hourly averages40 000 µg/m3limit value; applies until 2005
 humanshighest progressive 8-hour averages10 000 µg/m3 
Ozone (O3)humanshighest 8-hour average110 µg/m3threshold value; applies until 09-09-2003
 humanshighest progressive 8-hour average1) a day; exceedance not permitted on more than 25 days a year. 120 µg/m3desired quality standard; with effect from 09-09-2003
 humanshourly average180 µg/m3 information threshold; with effect from 01-03-2001
 humanshourly average; observed during three successive hours in an area of at least 100 km2.240 µg/m3 alarm threshold; with effect from 01-03-2001
 nature24-hour average 65 µg/m3threshold value; applies until 09-09-2003
 natureAOT40 1)18 000 µg/m3·uurdesired quality standard; with effect from 09-09-2003
     
Source: Staatsblad, 2001; 2nd and 3rd EU daughter directive (EU, 2000) and (EU, 2002).RIVM/EDC/sep03
1) See the text box 'notes on ozone standards' below.
2) Detailed interpretation of the status and significance of threshold value, desired quality standard, plan threshold, information threshold, alarm threshold and limit value.|
3) An indication is given for each standard of when they have to be met in the Netherlands (.. with effect from..). If a standard only applies in 2005 or 2010, an indication is also given of when it went into force: the date when the relevant regulation was published in the 'Staatsblad' (Dutch Bulletin of Acts, Orders and Decrees).

Standards for the protection of people and nature


In order to protect people and nature, the EU has adopted standards for the concentrations of substances in outside air (i.e. air quality). The EU makes a distinction between standards for prolonged exposure and standards for brief exposure to high concentrations.
  • Standards for prolonged exposure: For protection against chronic effects as a result of prolonged exposure to substances in the air, there are limit values for average annual concentrations. The exception is the new European standard for the exposure of nature to ozone: the AOT40 (see the text box 'Explanation of ozone standards' for an explanation of the AOT40).
  • Standards for brief exposure to high concentrations: For protection against acute effects resulting from brief exposure to high concentrations of substances in air, there are standards based on units such as hourly average, 24-hour average or a peak concentration of the series of observations during a year.

Current situation relating to the implementation of European standards in Dutch legislation


In 1996, new legislation was adopted on the European level for the assessment and management of air quality. This is described in the EC Framework Directive on air quality (EU, 1996). The standard has been elaborated for 13 different substances in four daughter directives. The daughter directives set out for each substance when the new standards will be in force.
  • The first daughter directive from 1999 deals with sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulate matter (PM10) and lead (Pb) (EU, 1999). This directive has been in force in the Netherlands since 19 July 2001.
  • The second daughter directive from 2000 deals with carbon monoxide (CO) and benzene (C6H6) (EU, 2000) and has been in force in the Netherlands since 13 December 2002.
  • The third daughter directive from 2002 deals with ozone (O3) (EU, 2002) and went into force in the Netherlands on 9 September 2003.
  • The fourth daughter directive deals with Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), Nickel (Ni) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and is the only directive still in preparation (EU, 2003).
Explanation of ozone standards  
Standard for public health Standard for nature
The new European standard for exposure of the population to high ozone concentrations (EU, 2002) provides for a target value of 120 µg/m3 for the highest 8-hour average ozone concentration a day. From 2010 onwards, this target value must not be exceeded on more than 25 days a calendar year on average over three years. The average is based on the year in question and the two previous years. The highest 8-hour average for the ozone concentration on one day is determined on the basis of the progressive averages for periods of eight hours, with these periods being calculated using hourly values and updated every hour. Each average for eight hours calculated in this way applies for the day on which the period of eight hours ends, in other words the first calculation period for a given day starts at 17.00 hours on the previous day and ends at 01.00 hours on that day, and the last calculation period is from 16.00 hours to 24.00 hours. The AOT40 (Accumulated Ozone exposure over a Threshold of 40 ppb) is a unit that is relevant for nature for expressing ozone concentrations. The AOT40 takes into account both the level of exceedance of the threshold value of 80 µg/m3 (= 40 ppb) and the duration of the exceedance. This standard is calculated only during the three summer months May - July, from 08.00 to 20:00 (Central European Time). The target value set for the protection of vegetation is 18,000 (µg/m3·hour), averaged out over 5 years. The calculation of the average is based on the year in question and the four previous years. A long-term objective of 6,000 (µg/m3·hour) has been adopted.

References


Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium


Relevant information outside of the Environmental Data Compendium
This page was last changed on November 18, 2005  (version 01).