About air quality

This page gives a brief introduction to the information available about air quality.

Pollutants Within Local Air Quality Management

Benzene: The main sources of benzene in North Lincolnshire are exhaust emissions from road traffic, industrial emissions from the two refineries at Killingholme and the Corus and Koppers operations in Scunthorpe. North Lincolnshire Council carried out a in the Killingholme and Scunthorpe areas in 2004. The benzene objective was not breached during that monitoring.
Detailed assessment of benzene [PDF]

1,3 Butadiene: The main industrial sources of 1,3 butadiene in North Lincolnshire are the two refineries at Killingholme. Road traffic is also a contributor. North Lincolnshire Council carried out a detailed assessment for 1,3 butadiene in the Killingholme area in 2006. Results showed that the 1,3 butadiene objective was not being breached.
Detailed assessment of 1,3 Butadiene [PDF]

Carbon Monoxide: The introduction of catalytic converters has reduced carbon monoxide emissions from road traffic. The other source of this pollutant in North Lincolnshire is from local industry, such as the steelworks in Scunthorpe. Monitoring for carbon monoxide was carried out at the Scunthorpe Town (on Rowland Road) site during 2005. The carbon monoxide objective was not breached during the monitoring.

Lead: The introduction of unleaded petrol has reduced lead emissions from road traffic. The most significant source in North Lincolnshire is the steelworks site in Scunthorpe. As a result of the Updating and Screening Assessment in 2006, North Lincolnshire Council carried out a detailed assessment for lead in the Scunthorpe area. Results of lead monitoring carried out during 2006 and 2007 showed that the objective was not being breached.
Detailed assessment of Lead [PDF]

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂): The main sources of NO₂ in North Lincolnshire are road traffic and industrial combustion processes. North Lincolnshire Council currently operates 36 diffusion tubes and five automatic analysers monitoring for NO₂. As a result of the Updating and Screening Assessment in 2006, North Lincolnshire Council carried out a detailed assessment for nitrogen dioxide. Monitoring has shown that objectives for nitrogen dioxide have not been breached during the monitoring period.
Detailed assessment of Nitrogen Dioxide [PDF]

PM₁₀: PM₁₀ originates from a variety of sources including industry, road traffic and natural sources such as soil dust and sea salt. North Lincolnshire Council has declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in the Scunthorpe area for a breach of the daily air quality objective, for a map of the AQMA please see the AQMA section. A draft Action Plan [PDF] has been produced.

Sulphur dioxide: Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) is currently monitored automatically at three locations in North Lincolnshire. The primary source of SO₂ is from industrial combustion processes. The sulphur dioxide objectives have not been breached in North Lincolnshire since monitoring began in 1997.

Pollutants Outside Local Air Quality Management

Monitoring for Ozone is not currently carried out in North Lincolnshire, as ozone is not studied in detail by Local Authorities. This is because the formation of ozone occurs away from the sources of the pollutants that generate it. Therefore it is considered at a national (and international) level.

Monitoring for Poly-aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) is carried out at one site in Scunthorpe, using two machines for a co-location study. See Defra's UK-AIR website, for results dating back to 1999. The European standard (compliance date end of 2012) has not been breached at the Scunthorpe Town site since 2003. However, the UK strategic target value recommended by the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (compliance date end of 2010) has been breached every year since 1999.