Glossary

This glossary provides definitions of common terms used in the context of air pollution.

You can navigate quickly to a term using the alphabetic links below; clicking on the terms will show their definition.

Glossary 

• 0-9
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T
• V
• Z

0-9

• 1,3-Butadiene (C₄H₆)

A

• Acid Deposition
• Acid Rain
• Air Pollution Bandings
• Air Pollution Bulletins
• Air Pollution Index
• Air Pollution Information Service
• Air Quality Management Area (AQMA)
• Air Quality Objectives
• Air Quality Standards
• Air Quality Strategy
• Ambient Air
• Annual Mean
• Automatic Monitoring

B

• BAM (Beta Attenuation Mass Monitor)
  The BAM (Beta Attenuation Mass Monitor) measures particulate concentrations automatically. The mass density is measured using the technique of Beta attenuation. A small Beta source is coupled to a sensitive detector which counts the Beta particles. As the mass of particles increases the Beta count is reduced. The relationship between the decrease in count and the particulate mass is computed according to a known equation (the Beer-Lambert law).
• Benzene (C₆H₆)
• Black Smoke

C

• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• COMEAP

D

• Data Capture
• Days with Exceedences
• Deposition
• Diffusion Tube Samplers
• Dispersion model

E

• EMEP (Co-operative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-Range Transmission ofAir pollutants in Europe)
• Emission Factor
• Emission Inventories
• EPAQS
• EU Directives
• Exceedence

F

• FDMS

G

• Global Warming
• Gravimetric Equivalent PM₁₀ Data
• Greenhouse Gases

H

• Hydrocarbons

L

• Local Air Quality Action Plan
• Local Air Quality Management (LAQM)

M

• Maximum hourly average
• Microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³)

N

• National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI).
• National Statistics

O

• Oxides of Nitrogen (NO_X)
• Ozone (O₃)

P

• PAHs
• Particulate matter (PM)
• Parts per billion, ppb
• Parts per million, ppm
• Percentile
• POPs

R

• Running mean

S

• Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂)

T

• TEOM
• TOMPS
• Trajectory Model

V

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Z

• Zones and Agglomerations